Not Meant For Me
by BleedingHeartsoftheWorldUnite
Summary: After surviving the unspeakable horrors of Raccoon City, Robin's life continues to fluctuate as she contemplates destroying old friendships and new partnerships in the name of happiness, all in the face of a new enemy. Post-RE5. ChrisxOC, BillyxRebecca.
1. Welcome to the Black Parade

**It was September 24th, 1998, the day that everything changed...**

Rebecca Chambers leaned against the square window sill of her cluttered apartment, watching the sun rise behind the breathtaking cityscape around her. Subconsciously holding the dog tags of one ex-Marine Billy Coen, the metal cool in her bare hand, she wondered where Billy was now. Had he managed to escape from the Arklay mountains alive? She hated the thought of a world without Billy Coen, even a world she had no part of, so she hoped that he was still alive and well. Shaking her head, she reminded herself that Billy Coen was dead to not only the world, but to her as well. It had to be that way if she wanted to get over the horrors of the Arklay Mountain Incident.

From its place on the kitchen wall, the phone rang, forcing the young woman back to reality. She left the window with a last glance back, answering the telephone, "Hello?"

"Officer Chambers?" A hesitant female voice asked from the other side, clearly conflicted about calling.

Rebecca had really only met Jill Valentine once, and that was when the remaining members of S.T.A.R.S. had escaped from the Arklay Mansion, but she knew that it was her nevertheless, "Rebecca is fine."

"Rebecca," The nurse wondered if Jill found it odd to be addressing her as an officer after she had resigned from not only the RPD, but from police work in general, "I'm sorry to call you so early in the morning, but I was curious to know if you knew anything about what's going on?"

She knew what was happening, but she stayed in the city hoping that she was wrong, "That's why you've stayed here as long as you have, isn't it? You wanted to convince everyone before it was too late..."

"I can't stay for much longer, I promised Chris that I would meet with him later this month." Rebecca had figured as much, she just wasn't sure when Jill was going to leave the city.

Wrapping the white cord around her index finger, she found herself asking Jill about Chris's plans, "How come he didn't come to me with any of this? After what had happened..."

"Chris didn't want to drag you into everything after all that you've been through," She spoke calmly to the young adult, "After you quit the force, none of us wanted to bring you back into this nightmare."

Rebecca sighed, plagued by nightmare after nightmare regardless of where she was or what she was doing, "I somehow doubt that it matters much. Ever since then, nothing has felt right."

Jill was about to ask what she meant by that, but she was being paged to come into the office, "I think that you should clear out from here as soon as you can. Raccoon City is no longer safe."

Rebecca thought that Jill was probably right, "Good-bye, Officer Valentine."

"Jill. Good-bye, Rebecca." She hung up, leaving the medic with an even worse feeling of impending doom.

First, likely associated with the Arklay Mountains outbreak, there are sightings of "monsters" around Raccoon City reported to the police. Then, the Raccoon City-based newspaper "_Raccoon Today_" publishes an article of a mysterious masked figure sighted in the North-West Arklay Mountains, along with the discovery of the remains of numerous crows and wild dogs which had been swept down-river. To make matters worse, the Director of the Raccoon General Hospital describes the conditions of the Hospital, where the wards are beginning to fill with people displaying t-virus symptoms from the ongoing Arklay Mountains Outbreak. Conditions within the Raccoon Hospital continue to deteriorate as more people check in by the day.

Oh yes, Rebecca knew what was going on...

Before she could set the plastic phone back on its cradle, the phone rang again, "Rebecca?"

She closed her eyes, completely forgetting about her promise to go to the football game today, "Larry, I - "

"Say no more, say no more. I know that you've been worried about me playing in the game today, but I've been bulking up like crazy, so I should be fine!" Larry's chirpy voice was somehow reassuring to Rebecca, "And having you cheering in the stands for me... The Sharks can't lose!"

She wanted to warn him about everything that was happening, to tell him to just forget the game and leave the city, but he was so excited about his first ever football game, so she said instead, "I'll be there alright. But afterwards, we really need to talk."

He whistled into the receiver, either by accident or as a joke, she wasn't sure, "I can hardly wait. See you at the game, Chambers."

"Don't disappoint me, Glenn." She was brought back to her college days, when they met and he became her first adult friend.

Outside of the locker room, Larry finished his call to Rebecca, the other guys teasing him about calling his girlfriend. Rebecca was just a good friend, the kind of friends that were strictly considered siblings, but the rookie wasn't about to let the other guys know that. Not yet at least. One of the older members of the team, a burly man's man by the name of Jussi Varis came to his aide.

Speaking with a light accent, Jussi wiped pre-game training sweat off of his dark brow, "My oldest daughter calls me before every game. There's nothing wrong with family and friends wishing us a good game."

"That's right. And it's not just you're daughter this time," A sharp voiced female walked over to Jussi, planting a kiss on his cheek.

While Jussi was all muscle, his wife was willow. He had a broad nose, broken at least twice due to his profession, and cold amber eyes. She had an robot-like face with plump lips and warm grey eyes. They both had pitch black hair, but Jussi's was straight and long, and his wife's was short and curly. She was about seven months pregnant, two sons flanking her on either side like soldiers, one about sixteen, the other around thirteen. A four year-old boy was holding the hand of the only girl. Larry found it funny that the girl was the only one who was a mix of her parents, becuase her brothers were either identical to their father or their mother, but she was a combination of both. She had her father's nose, minus the professional hazards, his eyes, though they were more grey than amber, and his hair. She had her mother's lips and square head.

"Everyone, this is my beautiful wife, Kelby. Our sons, Alastair, Onni, Armas, and our daughter, Robin." Jussi made introductions, indicating each person as he spoke. "Robin's a little shy, aren't you Robin Linnet?"

"Robin Linnet?" Nearly everyone was confused by that, but only Larry was curious enough to ask.

"I went through a bird phase when I was pregnant with her, so her middle name is Linnet," Kelby explained, smiling at her daughter, "isn't that right, Robin Linnet?"

The girl nodded, nervously watching the rest of the team. Jussi beamed proudly at her, pointing at the empty stands, "Why don't you all get comfortable? The game shouldn't start for another few hours."

Scratching his neck, one of the guys smacked his lips together, "Itchy... Scratchy."

Another newbie, he was ignored, his odd behavior accepted as normal over the past few days...

**A Few Hours Later...**

A very female scream rent the air like a knife through skin and bone, the cries of children echoing eerily throughout the roar of the stadium as a riot ensued. Glad that she had brought her gun with her, Rebecca ran through the aisles searching for survivors, ducking, tucking, and rolling to avoid being swept away in the sea of panicked people. Only a few rows from the bottom, she saw two teenage boys trying to pry a girl off of a child's corpse. Jogging up to them, her green eyes couldn't help but trail to the field, to the body of Larry Glenn, his insides being torn out by a ravenous zombie. She looked away, guilty for Larry's death.

Getting closer to the children, Rebecca noticed that the boy had been trampled to death in the panic, and his sister wouldn't budge from his side. Meticulously reaching out for the girl's shoulder, Rebecca noticed that the body of a woman was besides the boy, even more trampled than he was. Judging from the arch underneath her flannel, the woman was in her last trimester. The three of them were dead.

"Children!" Jussi called out to his offspring, reaching the stands just before Rebecca could let her presence be known.

"Mom... Armas..." The oldest son, Alastair, shook his head, dropping his hands from his sister.

The younger boy looked at his father, clearly frightened by what he had just been through, "What happened?"

"Zombies." Rebecca spoke for the first time, drawing looks from the family, "You can call me crazy, but you saw it too..."

Jussi swore, "Then does that mean - "

Just before he could ask what that meant, his youngest son sprang back up, biting his hand. Acting on instinct, Rebecca shot Armas in the head, bits of his blood splattering his sister. Robin looked mortified, almost beyond tears, but she managed to surprise everyone when she started to bawl her eyes and lungs out. Having enough foresight to know that the sound of her tears would alert the monster, Alastair clapped his hand over her mouth, muffling the sound. Onni took a deep breath, going over every zombie movie he had ever seen, thinking of what to do next. Jussi looked between his slain child and the stranger in disbelieving horror, mouthing incoherent half-sentences. His son was clearly dead, but he sprung up like nothing, and if that young girl hadn't shot him, then his entire family would share in Larry Glenn's fate.

Taking Rebecca's hand, he dipped his head respectfully, "You saved our lives. We are forever in your debt."

"I was only doing my job," She said automatically, nearly forgetting that she was now a civilian like the rest of them, "We need to get out of here. The infection spreads fast, even from a..." She looked at the bite mark on Jussi's hand, trailing off.

"From a single scratch," Onni spoke gravely, knowing that his father was doomed.

Jussi looked at Rebecca, then at his children, "Is that true?"

She nodded, "I've seen it happen myself."

He took the hand holding the gun, pointing it at his head, "Then shoot me. I couldn't bear the thought of turning into one of those monsters and attacking my children."

Rebecca was hesitant, not wanting to do that in front of his children, but there was no cure fore the T-virus that she was aware of, so she closed her eyes and pulled the trigger, thinking of Billy, "I'm sorry."

Having no time to wonder why she thought of Billy, Rebecca looked at the children. At least for now, they were in her care...

**The Present...**

Robin stood in front of the mirror, combing out the post-shower knots. Already dressed in a pair of torn-up jeans and a faded tee-shirt, she gave up on her hair, like she usually did, and just tied the top half back, leaving the bottom half to fall down her shoulders in a sable curtain. Adjusting the brown leather cuff on her wrist so that it covered her tattoo, she left the bathroom.

"Robin, it's time for Barry to get off work," Kathy Burton's voice carried through the bedroom door, "So why don't you go pick him up?"

Rolling her eyes, she muttered that it wasn't her job to pick any one up, "Why do I have to do it?"

Kathy took a deep breath, "Because, miss, he asked for you."

Groaning like any teenager stuck with an undesirable job, Robin grabbed her keys off the dresser, not bothering to pick up the model handgun that fell off it. Kathy watched her walk by, thanking her for taking time out of her busy schedule to help Barry, even though she was ignored. Keys jingling in hand, the plastic purple butterfly swinging freely from her clenched fist, she stalked outside to a beaten green hardtop Jeep. Her Jeep was old, the leather poking out in a familiar way, the paint almost completely covered in dried mud.

Barry Burton used to be an activist, but as his family grew, he took more of a backseat roll until he got a normal job altogether. He was a hero, and, as of December 20, 1998, he became Robin's father. The poor girl had lost everything in Raccoon City, and when she found out that Rebecca was unable to keep her, the world caved in around her. But Rebecca didn't leave her alone before she left - She made sure that Robin would be well looked after. Introducing them in early October, the Burton's and Robin bonded, and not even a month later, adoption papers were drawn, though it took a few more months for it to become legal. Robin loves her family more than anything, and she owes them everything...

And yet, every day she finds herself spiting in their faces...

Robin Burton has a secret, a secret that could destroy everything...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

Ok, so here is yet another version of "Jailbait", and hopefully this will be the last. For those of you familiar with "Jailbait", this is obviously already a bit different, and for those of you who aren't familiar with "Jailbait", then that's alright, becuase this is a different story.

**To recap this chapter:** Flashing back to Raccoon City in its final days, Rebecca is warned by Jill to leave the city, but she holds off becuase of a promise to go to the football game her friend is playing in. A lone zombie attacks his teammates, causing a riot in which Kelby Varis, Armas Varis, and Kelby's unborn baby are killed. Jussi Varis is bitten by Armas, and Rebecca kills him before he deteriorate into a monster, taking his children. Looking ahead to the year 2010, Robin is revealed to be alive, and she has been adopted by Barry Burton. But Robin has a secret...

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	2. City of Black & White

Slamming her hand down on the horn, Robin watched as her father approached the Jeep from an immaculate row of banks, government offices, and law firms. Aside from a few stubborn greys and some faint laugh lines, Barry Burton hadn't changed at all in the last twelve years - he even still sported his familiar penchant for red. Striding over to the front passenger door, Barry got into the green monster, setting his briefcase in the back. The second things were settled, she sped off like a bat from hell, sending both of their heads jerking back. On the drive home, they discussed the ramifications of concealed weapons. Surveying at his oldest daughter as she parked in the driveway, he reached into his jacket and pulled out his .357 Colt Python, the very same that had been with him during the Mansion Incident, and he looked at it as if he were about to part with his very life.

"Robin, this gun has gotten me through some tough times." Barry had shared his experiences with Robin, who had also survived her fair share of terror, so she knew exactly what they had been through, "If you're sure, then I want you to have it."

Robin took the gun, weighing it in her hand to get used to it, "Are you positive that you want to give this to me, daddy?"

"You're my little girl, and if anything were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself." He must have thought long and hard about this, becuase the Colt Python was his most prized possession, possibly even the sixth family member.

Comprehending what it meant to be given this particular gun, she could only gape at him. In giving her this gun, he was keeping her safe while allowing her to live her own life. Passing down the magnum to his daughter was his way of granting his blessing for her to chase her dreams and make them a reality. In handing her that gun, Barry had given her his permission to join the BSAA...

**One Year Ago...**

Black sludge coated his skin, the unnatural remains of Uroboros, and ash from the volcano was caked over that. His uniform was soaked with sweat and blood, both his own and that of the enemy, and it was worn so in thin places, holes were beginning to form on the newish fabric. The stubble he had started the mission with was way past a five o' clock shadow, and his hair was matted with dirt and who knows what else. Bone tired and ready for a long vacation, which he requested when he sent in his report with Jill, who who no doubt be kept busy for the next few weeks, it felt as if some horrendous monster was going to jump out from every corner. But that wasn't a new feeling for him by any means, not after the Arklay Mountain Incident. He was a complete wreck inside and out, but as he saw a group of familiar faces waiting to greet him at the airport, none of that mattered.

"Chris!" Barry mirthfully shook his hand and clapped him on the back when Chris reached his friends.

Among the welcoming party was Barry Burton, his wife Kathy, their oldest daughter Robin, and Rebecca Chambers, all of whom he greeted enthusiastically. However, Chris noticed with disappointment that his younger sister, Claire Redfield, was not there to greet him with the others. He figured that she must have been busy doing something important for Terra Save, the non-governmental human rights organization she belonged to. Well, this wasn't the first time they missed each other, and he was positive that it would not be the last.

"Long time, heh, Chris?" Kathy zealously shook his hand, her words reminding him ever so briefly of Wesker.

Rebecca, long since retired from the field and now working as an ordinary doctor, smiled at him, giving him the thumbs up, "I knew you'd make it! So, what happened?"

He knew that the events of Kijuujuu were classified, so he would have to wait until they were out of the open to fill them all in, "It's a long story, but it sure is good to be back."

Last to greet him, but certainly not the least, Robin broke out in hysteric tears as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I was so worried about you!"

Kathy held a hand out to her daughter, but retracted it at the last possible minute. Barry noticed her gesture, glancing at his naturally nurturing wife questioningly. Since when had Kathy ever let her daughters cry without trying to comfort them? Though it might have escaped her husband, she knew how much Robin cared about Chris, that she had considered him a very good friend, so she shrugged, shaking her head at him. Who were they to stop their friendship? If Chris and Jill had been any closer, they could have passed for Siamese twins, and at the same time, there was nothing romantic going on between them, though not for a lack of trying. Not that she wanted her daughter to try. Heaven forbid the day that Robin, or Moira or Polly, discover sex!

Focused solely on Robin at the moment, he wanted anything but to see her cry, so he rubbed her shoulders as he embraced her in the friendliest of ways, thinking that it was the same type of thing he would have done for Claire, "I always keep my promises."

Sniffling her tears away, she nodded begrudgingly, "I know you do, Chris, but when I found out how bad things were in Kijuujuu... I got so scared for you! I thought that I would never see you again..."

Rebecca, who knew Robin the longest, pulled her away from Chris and stroked her arms in a sisterly fashion, "You weren't the only one who was worried about him. Just think of how his poor sister must have felt."

Saving Robin from having to answer that, Rebecca's pager went off. Groaning, she let go of her old friend, "The hospital needs me yesterday... I'm so sorry about this!"

Understanding the importance of work, Chris nodded for her to go, "Duty calls."

"We should get going too. Moira and Polly need me to pick them up," Kathy had stealthily pulled a clunky cell phone from her large white purse and was in the middle of reading a text from one of her younger daughters, "And I have to take Barry back to work before his lunch break ends."

Barry kissed the side of Robin's head, "Think that you'll be alright with her taking you home?"

Chris nodded, "It should be fine. You guys go."

After saying their goodbyes, Robin helped Chris put his luggage in the back seat of her jeep, well, what luggage he actually did have, which was really only a suitcase. She had stopped the tears a while ago, but she hadn't said much since saying goodbye to her parents. It wasn't an awkward silence, just a sort of revelry that two people might enjoy after a long separation. Fair enough, in Robin's eyes, it might have just been a one-sided emotion, but regardless, the silence was anything but strained. Maybe not knowingly, Chris also felt a sense of delight at seeing Robin again.

"So, what DID happen on your mission?" Robin asked once they were on the road to his place, which she probably could have found blindfolded, "In Kijuujuu, you were looking for leads on Jill... Did you find her?"

Admittedly, there was a considerable age gap between them, but he still viewed the girl as a close friend, "Wesker was controlling her with some kind of device, but my partner and I were able to save her. She should be back home soon."

She almost swerved off the road, though at the same time, she couldn't have been more thrilled to hear about Jill, "Wesker is still alive?"

Chris patted her knee comfortingly, "Don't worry, he's not coming back again."

"Do you really believe that? I mean, he's faked his death so many times now, how can you be sure?" Robin frowned, hating the thought of Chris having to fight the superhuman Wesker again.

Wesker had used the Uroboros on himself, even knowing that the virus was weak against fire, and Chris himself had seen him rise from the lava only to fall back under to a pair of RPG-7 rockets, "He's finished."

Believing him at his word, she pulled up to his apartment, taking in his things while he settled himself, "I hope you don't mind, but I took care of your bills while you were gone."

She knew where he kept his spare key, so for the last couple of years she took it upon herself to care for things while he was away. Over the years, she knew his small place almost as if it were her own. The lackluster carpet was the same brown as wet dirt, the alabaster walls were hung with newspaper articles, awards, and a photo or two, and the simple furnishings were burned out and haggard. It was a place that was clearly lived-in, and yet, it seemed kinda empty, so over time, Robin had added a few things to make the place seem less like a cheap motel room and more like a home. She put a diminutive fern in the corner between a sage-green armchair and the flat screen, a silver, velvety soft throw on the back of the distinguished hunter-green couch, and a chart of proper firearm use on the barren bathroom wall. Chris was impartial to her additions, so as long she didn't add crap, he was fine with her doing that.

Walking into the living room after him, she wished that she would have cleaned as well, but he didn't seem to mind, "Much appreciated."

"It was no problem," She shook her head, swinging his suitcase around, "Um, where do you want this?"

He was already halfway to the bathroom, "You can just set it in my room."

Poking her head in the door, she looked inside his room. It was the same as ever, but now that he was also in the building, it seemed... different somehow. Placing his suitcase on the edge of the military-neat bed, she was slightly surprised to hear the sound of running water. Of course he would want a shower, but was she supposed to go, or did he want her to wait here? Unsure of what to do, she sat next to his suitcase, fiddling with her necklace. Before she knew it, the shower had stopped and he was standing in the doorway, completely naked. All she could do was stare at him; his killer abs, the way the water glistened on his skin, the size of his -

"Robin, I thought that I told you to wait in the living room." He did tell her that, but she didn't hear him say it, because at that time, he had started the shower, "I forgot to grab a towel."

Snapping out of it, she looked away, eyes shut tight as he put on a pair of charcoal boxer briefs, "I'm so sorry about that... I wasn't sure if I should leave or not, so I just stayed in here... At least now I know that the muscle is all you...Sorry. God, I'm so stupid!"

Moving the suitcase to the floor, he sat next to her, "I should have told you that I was going to take a shower."

"It's your place," As if he needed to be reminded of that, "I shouldn't have stayed here. In the bedroom..."

She trailed off, so Chris looked at her, smirking when he saw the look on her face, "Are you blushing?"

Robin's stomach lurched, the events of moments ago finally catching up to her. She had just seen him naked... Chris Redfield, her father's best friend in the whole wide world, the man that was perhaps her closest friend, the man that she idolized and adored more than anything... The man she loved...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> They say that steroid use in men shrivels up their junk, and from what Robin sees, Chris ain't taking 'em. To quote Moulin Rouge, "He's got a huge talent!".

**To recap this chapter: **Barry gives Robin his magnum from the original Resident Evil, which she correctly interprets as him giving her his blessings to join the BSAA. Turning back the clock, Chris returns from Kijuujuu and is greeted by Barry, Kathy, Rebecca, and Robin. Having a nice little moment, Kathy acknowledges Chris and Robin's friendship, comparing it to Chris and Jill's friendship, revealing that they had had a failed romance. Called away for work, every leaves and it's up to Robin to take Chris back home, where she sees that he didn't take steroids to bulk up.**  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	3. Angel

While Chris showered away the psychical remains of Kijuujuu, Robin waited for him in his bedroom. It wasn't a ploy to seduce him, purely foolishness that kept her there as she wasn't certain about whether or not she she leave. In all fairness, he had asked her to stay, but she didn't hear him over the sound of the shower. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she twiddled with her necklace, that is, she fussed with it until Chris came out of the shower. As luck would have it, he told her to wait for him, and she did, but he meant more along the lines of her waiting in the living room, not his room. But it gets better, at least for Robin - he was completely naked, having forgotten to grab a towel before heading into the bathroom. At first, she could only stare, but once she recovered, she made an utter idiot of herself. Secretly in love with him, saying something along the lines of them being in the bedroom, she made herself blush. Shocked to see that side of his friend, the nudity forgiven and ignored most likely from post-traumatic stress and exhaustion, he laughed at her.

More embarrassed than annoyed, Robin looked at Chris, unwittingly locking gazes with him, "Chris..."

Trapped in her grey, amber frosted eyes, not exactly in his right mind but not out of it either, he brushed his fingertips over her cheek to lock behind her head. Arm twisting around to wrap around his neck, Robin pressed ever so lightly against him. On the verge of touching their lips together, he held her in his arms, his body moving on its own. At that very moment, before she could take advantage of the moment, or even before he could return to his senses, her cell phone rang. The chorus for MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This" played, so she knew without looking that her father was calling her. Why, why now?

"Fucking fish sticks!" Pulling her phone out of her back pants pocket, she turned from Chris, answering the phone in as calm a manner as she possibly could, which given the circumstances, wasn't very calm at all, "Yes, father?"

Overlooking the obvious venom in his daughter's voice, and the stressed syllables she put in to the word father, Barry spoke with merriment and frivolity, "Can you bring Chris over to the house in a few hours? Your mom wants to cook him dinner. You know how she gets."

"Yeah, I can. So, about six? Seven?" She grit her teeth, trying to act like she wasn't considering patricide.

"Six-thirty, seven. Better make it closer to seven." He seemed in no rush to end the call, but he could tell that his daughter was, so he inexplicably decided to end the call prematurely, "We'll see you then."

"Bye." Robin hung up the phone about seven times becuase she kept missing the button, ramming into her pocket twice as many times, all without looking back at Chris, "My parents want me to bring you over in a few hours for dinner."

Barely fazed by her words, with a look of unfathomable contrition etched on his handsome, still unshaven face, he held his head in his hands, "What have I done?"

Rolling her head to the side, she wondered how to answer that, "Nothing... You didn't do anything, becuase nothing happened, not even almost."

**A Year Later...**

Robin sat in her room, contemplating the probability of her father using some kind of reverse psychology. Surely it couldn't be that easy for her to join the BSAA after all of these years... But he never tried to play mind games either, so this had to be real. Robin shouldn't have been secluded in her room pondering her father's decision, she should be out, celebrating it. But even if she were in the mood to go to a soiree, she would have no one to go with. She and Chris were still close, but after the almost kiss, things were... off.

"Hey," Of all the people in all the world of all the times, who should have been standing at Robin's door?

"Chris?" She choked his name out, surprised to see him, especially right now when her family was out of the house, shopping for a party that she didn't even want, "What are you doing here? Everyone shouldn't be back for a while."

He nodded, "I know."

Baffled, her mouth hung slack, but she wasn't about to dredge up locked away memories, "Oh. Um, then why are you here?"

"After my 'vacation', I heard that there was a certain rookie that needed training, and I volunteered for the job." He said it like it was no big deal, but as a premier field operative, Robin found it just a little strange that he would offer to train anyone.

"You didn't volunteer for the job. If I had to guess, I'd wager that you were put up to it." She rolled off of the bed and sat on the edge of her dresser, subtly closing it so that the lacy, stringy things she called underwear weren't sticking out for the world to see. "But I am glad to have you as my mentor."

Sitting on the unoccupied bed, he looked around her room. He had actually never been in it before, so he was taking the opportunity to look around. The bed was three mattresses stacked on top of the other, a white bed skirt flouncing out underneath of a black one, matching sable curtains tied to metal posts with large white bows. The sheets and comforter matched the bed skirt with neon blues and pinks, the pillowcases solid. A poster similar to the one in his bathroom was on the closet door, various bands and singers scattering the bluebell wallpaper. The second story window was thrown open, lacy curtains fluttering in the breeze, a vase of yellow roses and pink, red, and white carnations perched on the corner of the nightstand. The rest of the furniture was dark, bumper stickers and bullets covering the empty spaces of the dresser. Like her father, Robin was also a member of the NRA.

"So... I suppose that you're going to train me from scratch, huh?" She wasn't sure what to say, so she decided to stay on topic.

"Nah, that would just be a waste of time." Chris was right, knowing that Robin had spent about half of her life training with everyone that she could, which included nearly every last survivor of various outbreaks, "We need to get you out in the field."

Smiling at him, Robin scratched her cheek and pulled a stash of cigarettes out from her front pocket, lighting one with a lighter procured from the back pocket opposite her cellphone, "Too bad Raccoon City wasn't taken into account. Want?"

"I'm good. And it was. When the BSAA got your application, along with all of the outstanding recommendations, they actually wanted you out in the field right away." He had been one of the many sources on her resume, so naturally, the top brass had informed him of their decision, "But I promised your father that I would make sure nothing happened to you."

"So you requested to train me." Comprehension dawned on her, "You took me on becuase of my dad. Man, I wish that I would have taken that wager... But you really are amazing, you know? My dad's lucky to have a friend like you."

In hindsight, that was the wrong thing to say, but it wasn't like Robin could possibly have known that, "You can't mean that."

Shaking her head in confusion, she moved from her perch to sit next to her friend, "How could I mean anything else? You've always been there for my father, and... Trust me, you're not seeing the positive."

"Robin, don't you ever think about what happened last year?" They hadn't spoken, nay, not even hinted at what had happened in his bedroom last year, so this was completely out of the blue.

"Why? Why are you asking me this?" Of course she had thought about the kiss they had almost shared. It haunted her dreams, residing deep in her soul, tormenting her. "If it's to clear the air, then there's nothing to clear. I keep my work professional, so whatever you think did or didn't happen, it won't affect my work ethic, sir."

That was the last thing on his mind when he asked her about the almost kiss, but if she was so defensive about it, he decided to just go with the flow of things, "That's good to hear."

Dropping the matter, Robin stood up, put out her barely smoked cigarette, and walked to her door, "Why don't we go sit in the living room while we wait?"

He nodded, following after her...

**Twelve Years Ago...**

After the riot, Rebecca Chambers found herself in charge of Jussi Varis' remaining family; his oldest sons Alastair and Onni, and his only daughter, Robin. Unsure of what to do with the children, Rebecca introduced herself, staling long enough so her brain could formulate a plan, "I'm Rebecca Chambers, but under the circumstances, you can just call me Rebecca."

Looking at the woman who had just shot their little brother after his corpse reanimated, and the very same woman who had killed their father before he could become a monster, Alastair spoke on behalf of his siblings, "As father said, we are indebted to you, and you clearly seem to know what to do, so for the sake of my family, we will follow you, Rebecca. I am Alastair, and this is my younger brother, Onni."

Looking at the little girl, Rebecca held her hand out to her in a friendly manner, "And you are?"

Robin clung to her brother's arm, refusing to answer, so Onni spoke for her, "Robin... has always been very shy. I doubt that you killing our little brother and father have a lot to do with the cold shoulder."

Rebecca wasn't sure if he was being contemptuous or not, but either way, she didn't have time to find that out. Everywhere she looked, people were becoming monsters. The trampled, the lingerers, the sick, the attacked, and the stampede escapees all were transforming into undead creatures with the most basic of needs - the need to feed. Due to their position near the bottom row of bleachers, they had a fight on their hands. Looking around in dismay, she picked out the path of least resistance, pointing it out to the children. They nodded, Alastair picking up his sister and carrying her out piggy-back style, Onni covering them with a concealed dagger Alastair had pulled out from his stompers. Leading them through the stands in single file, Rebecca held her gun at the ready, praying that she had enough ammo to make it through the stadium.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> There's another one down! And just in case anyone was wondering about my titles, I'm obviously using song titles, but only songs that I think fit the chapter. The first chapter "Welcome to the Black Parade" was chosen becuase not only is it a good opener, but to me, it sounds as if the song is about a dead/dying father. Chapter two, "City of Black and White", is about desire, and what put it over the top were the lines "I don't want to wait until tomorrow to tell you how I'd feel the rest of my life/You don't want to waste another minute to realize/Baby it is you, that opened my eyes/burning like a fire on water". For this chapter, I chose Aerosmith's "Angel" because it exemplifies the isolation and loneliness both Chris and Robin feel.

**To recap this chapter: **Chris and Robin lock eyes and they almost kiss, but Barry calls his daughter to get her to bring Chris by for dinner. Remorseful for almost kissing his best friend's daughter, Robin puts him before herself and tells him that nothing happened to ease his guilt. Back to the current time, Robin is in her room, wondering why Barry had suddenly changed his mind and allowed her to join the BSAA. Chris comes to congratulate her, informing the girl that they were going to be working together from this point on. He also lets her know that he promised Barry to keep her safe, which most likely is what changed his mind. Somehow, the conversation goes back to what happened a year ago, and she tells him that it won't interfere with her work, and they drop it. Then, back in jolly ol' Raccoon City, were nothing bad ever happens, Rebecca shows the children how they're going to get out of the arena. **  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All respective properties, like, but not limited to, songs, belong to their respective brands. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	4. All Nightmare Long

Like some twisted version of mother goose, Rebecca lead Alastair, carrying his little sister Robin piggy-back, and Onni, who covered the rear with naught but a knife. Firing her gun only when she absolutely had to, Rebecca found it harder to climb up the bleachers than she had originally anticipated. Not once, but at least twice, the boys were grabbed by the ankles, a lowly crawler zombie attacking them unexpectedly. But they handled it themselves, smashing in the head. Rebecca was impressed by them, surprised that the children were not only keeping their cool, but were able to work together to kill the undead. But it was nothing special to them - it was just the way they were raised. Jussi had been raised by his father to do what ever it took to keep his family safe, and he taught his children the same, even little Armas. If one of them failed, then whoever was left had to take up the slack...

"Rebecca, where are we going to go from here?" Alastair asked half-way to the exit.

She looked back at him, shooting down a decayed soccer mom before she could even scratch the medic or her wards, "Well, if we're going to make it out of here alive, we're going to have to get some ammo... So, I guess that we should go to my apartment."

"Is it far from here?" Onni asked, automatically slashing the throat of a zombie that tried to bite him, smashing its head underneath his heel.

Rebecca shook her head, "As long as it's just these things, I'm sure that we can make it."

"Just... these things? What else is out there?" Onni paled considerably, creatures more than former humans too much for him to handle.

Rebecca didn't answer, her hand once again going to the dog tags around her neck. Giant scorpions, monstrous centipedes, ape-like creatures, leeches... And that was all _before_ the mansion... Her stomach tightened into knots, her experiences rushing back at her now of all times, crashing around her all at once. Billy saving her life by shooting the leeches... Stopping the train before it could crash and kill them... Solving all of those puzzles... Billy falling into the chasm... Him telling her his story... Killing the Queen Leech... And their goodbye. Even now, she had no idea why she took his tags, but she had always reasoned that it had been for proof of his death. Say that much was true, then why did she still wear them?

"Rebecca!" Alastair shouted, tackling her down as a dog ran into the stadium.

It leaped harmlessly over her head, but if Alastair hadn't shoved her, it would have taken her head clean off. Poor little Robin fell off of his back, landing uncomfortably on the bleachers. Scrapped up but otherwise perfectly fine, he quickly picked her back up, carrying her as before. Shaking her paralysis off, Rebecca killed the dog in a single, lucky shot. Panting, she gave them the thumbs up, grateful that he had just saved her life. However, she was mad at herself, becuase it was now her job to care for these children, not their job to care for her. Picking up the pace before anymore creatures could enter the open arena, they picked their way around the zombies, making it to the gates, to freedom...

"No..." Robin looked around at the chaos, carnage, and confusion that ran rampant in the city during the outbreak, clutching her older brother tighter.

It was horrible, even to Rebecca's seasoned eyes... The wind carried a symphony of moans and screams, yowls and shuffling, all with a chorus of gunfire. Blood trickled down the street in glowing shades of red, collecting in black, abyss-like pools, spreading from corpses both dead and undead. Those who had still been alive were running from the city, all in a desperate attempt at escape. People were killing people, even women and children weren't safe from the living. Keeping close, Rebecca led the children through the crowd. That is, she lead them to the epicenter, losing track of the children as a muscular man bumped into her, nearly knocking her over. She was about to shout at him, but she saw a face she never expected to see again...

"Billy... What are you doing here?" She exclaimed.

He smirked at her, "Long time no see, Rebecca. I came into the city for supplies before heading south, and I found things like this. What are you doing here?"

She looked back to introduce the children, but they were gone, "The kids!"

"You'll have to fill me in on that one," He knew that they weren't her children, but at the same time, he was curious about how she had found herself in charge of a group, "How many are there?"

She was about to answer, but there was a blood curdling, female scream, "Nooo! Onni!"

Running to the source of the cry, they found Alastair, holding Robin back, standing over Onni's body. From the looks of things, he had been involved in a struggle, and had been shot through the chest with a 12 gauge shotgun. At close range. That was just how panicked and frightened people were, not that harming a child was ever excusable. Standing so close to him, Alastair and Robin had been hit by the spray as well, but it was just a flesh wound. Seeing Rebecca, and the stranger with her, Alastair began to cry openly, tears falling on his sister's head. She looked at Robin, all hope gone from her face.

"The man who did this... He tried to take us away from you... But Onni wouldn't... He shot him..." Robin shoved her remaining brother off, taking the knife from her brother's carcass and holding it firmly in her hand, "I'm not going to die here."

What had happened was that the man who did this had the notion that children would get you out safely, kinda like in the Titanic, when the snobby rich guy grabbed the kid and used her to get on one of the lifeboats. He saw the Varis children and decided to do the same, only they were with Rebecca and refused to leave her. Fighting with the stranger, Onni took the knife out, pointing it at the man's throat. Not liking his plan anymore, and liking the threat even less, he took his shotgun from his back, blasting a hole into the boy. Being at such close range, Alastair and Robin had gotten hit, but due to the adrenaline already coursing in their veins, they were unaffected by their injuries.

"Robin..." Alastair was nothing short of amazed by her transformation, but given that she had lost almost all of her family in only one day, it wasn't that unusual.

**Twelve Years Later...**

Robin sat in the living room, stretched across one end of the couch, flicking through the television. Chris sat on the short leg of the "L", watching the digital clock over the t.v.. After the episode in her room, they hadn't spoken at all. That was over an hour ago, and probably half the reason he was watching the time drag. She kept biting her lower lip, a habit of hers that only came out when she couldn't smoke. Knowing of her nicotine cravings, Barry allowed her to smoke, as long as she didn't do it in the house, with the exception of her room. Chris had noticed it a few years back, though he doubted if she realized it. Passing an old episode of Jerry Springer for the third time, Robin grew fed up with channel surfing and just left it on, flipping on her back so that she was staring at the ceiling.

"Welcome to our show today! Our guests today have a confession for their loved ones. Go on Robin, what is it that you want to say?" Jerry asked Robin, standing near the fan with his arms crossed.

"Well, Jerry... I'm in love with my father's best friend." She paused while the audience went 'awww', "But he's about ten years older than I am."

"And does your father's friend know about how you feel?" He asked her, the general interest of any television host on his face.

"Nobody knows." Robin sounded mortified by the idea that he would know.

"Well, he does now! Here's Chris!" Jerry introduced Chris, who came out onto the stage looking confused as to where he was and why he was there.

"Robin, you know that your father would kill me if I were to even look at you!" He looked at Robin, sounding and looking neither pleased nor upset by her bringing him on the show.

"But I love you!" She started to cry, unable to withstand his total apathy any more, "I love you..."

Scowling at the clock one minute, Chris found himself in a majestic marble ballroom the next, people dressed to the nines in glimmering whites and opaque blacks, royal purples and dainty blues, all with faces to be seen and secrets to hide beneath richly decorated masks. Gathering his wits about him, Chris froze when a young woman entered the room, her healthy form bound in a splendid yet simple ballgown made of crimson taffeta, with a darker red trim that hung from the shoulders and criss-crossed in the back. A platinum bracelet wound over her hand and up both wrists, tiny diamonds and rubies set inside, a matching choker winding around her neck. Her lustrous black hair was in tiny curls, swept to one side and piled high, silver and red raining down. In all the years he had known her, he had rarely seen Robin look so stunning.

"My oldest daughter," Dream Barry was much more eloquent than normal Barry, "her unsurpassed beauty shames the stars that light the night's sky. A fine prize for any man."

She was about to say that she wasn't a prize to be won, but she stopped when a man appeared before her. The man wore an odd mask with horns twisting out, and a slate grey cloak over a blackish-green uniform. Chris felt that he ought to know who the man was, but for some reason, other than the mask, he just couldn't do it. Robin smiled at the man as he led her to the dance floor, spinning her around and around, arms tight on her waist. Speaking low so that only she could hear, she laughed, looking... Happy. Happier than Chris had seen her look in years.

"Fly far, Little Bird." Chris shook his head, removing his mask and walking to the veranda to gaze at the night's sky, lit by the glow of the city, "Fly far and live the life that I could never give you, the life that none of us can..."

"Aren't you lonely?" Robin suddenly stood behind Chris, making him wonder if she had heard what he had said, her arms crossed behind her back as she joined him, "I would imagine that you would get lonely out here..."

Glancing from the full moon to her earnest face, he asked her why she was out here, with him, "What about the other guy?"

"What other guy? You mean my husband? He had to go back home and check on he children. I only stayed so that I can be there when my father announces the arrival of our newest child." She beamed, holding a still flattened stomach, "I hope that this one is a boy."

Robin... was married? And had children? But she was just a child herself, wasn't she? No, she had already killed by the time they had met, but surely in other ways... It was true that she stilled lived with her parents, but legally, and in the eyes of her country, she was an adult. And it was impossible to deny that she had the body of a full grown woman... So why then was it so hard to acknowledge that Robin wasn't a child anymore? But he knew the answer to that already. Admitting that Robin was a woman would give her a new identity, one that failed to label her as Barry's daughter...

Catching the look on his face, she sighed, patting his arm, "I know that you'll ever only see me as a child, but I am a woman."

Before he could do or say anything else, she was pulling her dress off, exposing herself to him...

"We're back!" Barry called into the living room, startling both Chris and Robin awake.

They straightened up, each wearing an expression that said "What a horrible nightmare...".

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Thank you, N7angel and Padme4000 for the amazing reviews! And yay, Billy! Well, that makes me happy... Any who, I really wanted to put a ball in the story, so this was the best way for me to do it. In my defense, I watch way too much Labyrinth... Jerry Springer was just an added bonus.

**To recap this chapter: **Rebecca gets caught up in her experiences at the Arklay Mountains, and Alastair saves her from being dog food before they make it out of the stadium in one piece. Finding Raccoon City in shambles, Rebecca leads the kids back to her place, but bumping in a familiar face, she temporarily losses them. However, when she is able to locate them again, Onni is already dead, shot by a living, breathing human being. Having lost everyone but her oldest brother, Robin resolves to get out of Raccoon City alive. In the present, Robin and Chris aren't speaking, and she falls asleep watching the Jerry Springer show. They both have nightmares.**  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All respective properties, like, but not limited to, songs, belong to their respective brands. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	5. Nymphetamine

**Four Months Later...**

Twilight crept into the valley, dusky purples staining the fading pinks and dying blues of day, snow capped hills fizzling into a dead grey matte. Maddening silence blanketed the thick woods that surrounded the winding road back home, punctured here and there by the distant howling of a wolf. Smelling the open, woodsy air of her home country, Robin exhaled slowly, basking in the glory that was Harmma kaupunki, Finland. The last time she had been in the land of her fathers, which was actually Helsinki, she had been a very small child. Chuckling at the unadulterated rapture on his partner's face, Chris closed the door of their Humvee.

"How is it to be back home?" He started walking to the bunker where they were supposed to meet with their guide, which was a good five minute trip.

Strolling alongside her mentor in a dream-like state, Robin couldn't stop grinning at the winter wonderland that encased them like an open snow globe, "Wonderful! But, this place isn't really my home..."

Having the luck that she did, Robin tripped over her own feet at that exact moment, landing on her back. Somehow, she had managed to bring them both down, Chris falling on top of her. Hat knocked off, her long raven-colored hair was splayed across the starkly contracting snow, over her milky cheek, and in between her chapping lips, and she could do nothing but bat her heavy black lashes as she gazed in Chris's warm eyes. Not thinking about what he was doing, he stroked her hair out of her face in a single movement, his hand lingering by her ear. Though unable to move, she could clearly see that he was about to kiss her, so to spare him from anymore guilt and regret, she turned her head and coughed.

"Chris, you're crushing me." She would have given anything to kiss him, but she refused to let it happen without his complete consent. He was more important than her own selfish feelings.

Chris hastily got up, helping Robin up as well, dusting her head off and putting her hat back on, "My bad."

She shook her head rapidly to hide the red that had crept into her cheeks, sending melted snow flying outwards, "No, that was all me."

"You were saying?" He was still curious about what she was going to say, so he prompted her to continue the conversation were they left off.

"Finland will always be a part of me, but, it is only my homeland. My true home is with those that I love. And what about you? Is America your home?" Robin was thinking of her family when she thought of her real home, though more than one of the images in her head was of Chris.

He thought about her words for a minute, "I was born and bred in the U.S.A., but I'm not nearly half as patriotic as you are."

"So you don't have a home? How sad," She shook her head, accidentally swatting him with one of the fluffy white balls dangling from her hat, "but that's life, isn't it?"

"I never said that I don't have a home, only that my country isn't it." He said slyly, clearly avoiding the subject.

Four months had passed since Robin began her training with Chris, and luckily, things had stabilized between the two of them in that time. Sure, that might have had more to do with the fact that Chris was running Robin so ragged, she barely had time to breath, but if it meant that things were at least a little kosher between them, she wasn't complaining. That was one thing she could count on: No matter how weird things got, if it was ignored long enough, then the problem would just go away. She knew that that wasn't at all healthy, but after pining after the same guy for over a decade, she had to admit that she wasn't the healthiest person around.

Dropping the matter, she inclined her head, "So you did."

"But wasn't your mother from England?" Chris suddenly recalled a past conversation they had had years ago, around the time they had first met, "Rebecca said that your older brothers had an accent."

Her face tightened for a fraction of a second, the agonizing memories still sharp in her heart, "My mother left England when she was a girl, but she never spoke about it. My father was actually born with a dual citizenship in America and Finland, and when he was here, he met my mother by chance. We used to travel quite a bit, but when my little brother was born, he was sick, and we settled in Raccoon City for his treatment."

Seeing that he had hurt her, he let it die, "You can speak fluently, right?"

Robin nodded, "Mother made us all learn a multitude of languages. I can also speak Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, Swedish, German, and the romance languages. She was kinda strict..."

That was an understatement of monumental proportions. Kelby Varis had demanded nothing short of excellence from her children to the point were they would bleed, forcing them into various clubs and activities when she wasn't homeschooling them. Her personal motto was probably something along the lines of 'perfect mind, perfect boy'. Funnily enough, Jussi was the exact opposite with the kids, but unfortunately, he was usually gone at work, doing his absolute best to provide for his family. But it wasn't all bad...

"We're here," Robin pointed at the wall surrounding the bunker, "And in one piece."

Reaching their destination before they could strike up another conversation, at least a decent one, a woman clad in heavy faux furs stomped out to greet them, inspecting Chris with a lustful eye. Robin might have been his shadow for all the recognition she got, not that she wanted any attention in the first place. Even hidden behind her pelts, the woman was the center-fold pin-up girl that teenage boys had hanging in their rooms, with full brown hair, tied at the end with a thick white band. She looked more like a supermodel than an agent.

The woman spoke in a sultry voice, "Agent Redfield, I'm agent Laine, but you can just call me Suvi. The European Branch sent me in so that you're not alone on this one. And I see that you brought the cutest little girl with you!"

"As an apprentice, I may not count in the eyes of the BSAA, but Chris isn't alone," Vein popping in her head, Robin immediately hated the woman, aching to rip her eyes from her head, but instead she settled on switching to her native tongue so that Chris wouldn't understand, "And just because I'm not nearing fifty, unlike you, that does not make me a little girl! But maybe you've just been holed up in this place for so long, you forgot what a natural body should look like. Or maybe you're just really insecure."

Not expecting the younger woman to be multilingual, she responded in amusement, "Such a sharp-tongued girl! I wonder how he would feel about you speaking this way to a superior?"

Glancing nervously at Chris, Robin wondered if the woman would stoop so low, and deciding that she would, Robin swallowed her pride, "I'm sorry, its been a very long flight. It won't happen again, ma'am."

Smiling at her in the most condescending of ways, Suvi lead them both inside the bunker, now speaking in English, "You're little apprentice sure is spunky."

Chris was unaware of the frigid atmosphere around him, so he spoke fondly of Robin, though had he known, he would have defended her, "You have no idea."

**Ten years ago...**

It was no secret that Chris was a smoker, nor was it some unknown fact that he was trying to quit. And luckily for him, he had no shortage of support in his corner. Standing beside his apartment building one rainy afternoon, he had relapsed after three months of being clean, the nicotine withdrawal getting to him. Robin, who was on her way home from school, had stumbled across him, coming up to him before he could put out the cigarette, kicked his shin with all her might. Though she herself would take up the habit in a few years, Robin was perhaps the biggest influence on him. Being Barry's like-minded daughter, it made sense that they had formed a certain kind of bond. Yelping in pain like a kicked dog, he hopped around on his good ankle, cancer stick dropped on the ground. But she wasn't done with him yet. Grabbing him by the shirt, she dragged him back to his house and pulled a dining chair out into the middle of the living room.

"Sit!" She ordered, pointing at the chair.

Indulging her mostly out of contrition, Chris obeyed. Glad that this was going to be easy, she started to scold him, "Do you have any idea how bad those nasty things are? They can kill you! And those around you! Do you want to kill me, is that it? Huh?"

Chris looked at her reproachfully, "I would never want to hurt you! Ever!"

Pleased by his answer, she flashed him a small smile, "I know that. But now you know a small taste of what I would feel if you were to die over something as stupid as smoking."

Getting her point, along with everyone else's, he had found the strength to resolve to quit, "I want you to get rid of these for me."

"Alright," Robin took the packet from him, breaking each and every one before throwing them away.

**Three Years After That...**

Under the impression that her friend was going to take her out for lunch, Robin gladly tagged along with her friend to some unknown destination. Katie Smith, Robin's first normal friend, wasn't really going to take her friend to lunch - She was taking her along to buy the answers to the geometry test. She knew that Robin would tell her to study, but between all of her drama, she just couldn't find the time. Covering her eyes, Katie led Robin into the ally where the guy could be found when school was out. A high school dropout, David Corey lingered around the schools, selling a number of goods to the students, and he wasn't above showing his interest in the girls.

"Katie, where are we?" Robin asked as Katie dropped her hands, assessing the situation in a glance, "NO! Katie!"

Sliding up behind them, David admired the girls and their assets, "Relax, sweet pea. Its not like you have to partake in the spoils of my work if you don't want to."

Lighting a cigarette, he offered it to Katie, who shook her head and declined, "I just want to pass the class. With your brain and studying capabilities, you'll easily ace the test. You know how my mom is..."

Sighing, Robin figured that she was already involved, "You owe me for this."

'That's the spirit." He took a drag off of the cigarette, passing it to Robin, "Live a little."

Figuring that no harm could come from one puff, she took it from him, inhaling deeply, "Whatever."

And that one little puff had her hooked...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> I came up with a hopefully fictional place in Finland, which I called "Grey City", or using Google translate, Harmma kaupunki. I maintain that Chris really was a smoker, becuase in the original opening, he was smoking! And, he carries a lighter, which I'll admit may just be coincidental. SMOKING IS A GOD-AWFUL HABIT THAT NO ONE SHOULD PICK UP!I know, I used to live in a house full of smokers. Cheating on tests (though I may or may not have helped people cheat off of my tests in the past) is also bad, m'kay?

**To Recap This Chapter:** Four months after beginning her training with Chris, they are sent on their first mission together, where they meet with another agent who will be assisting them. Suvi Laine, who clearly finds Chris attractive, sets Robin off, and they quickly become enemies of sorts. And, we get another look into the past, this time to look at how Robin became a smoker.

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All respective properties, like, but not limited to, songs, belong to their respective brands. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	6. Weak and Powerless

**Seven Years Ago...**

To get over her "crush" on Chris, Robin had began to date a slightly older guy named David Corey. Meeting him when her friend was buying the answers to a test, they had ended up talking for a few hours, and by the time she went home, it was with her number in his pocket. Calling her the following day, they started to go out shortly afterwards. That was two months ago, and things were starting to get serious enough for Barry to ask his friend to intercede on his behalf. Barry loved his daughters more than anything, enough to lock them away from boys for the remainder of their lives, but he had promised his wife that he wouldn't interfere in the children's love lives without a reason, so he turned to someone else he knew who had the same interests. Chris cared for each of Barry daughters, and he would certainly look out for them as if they were his own sister.

While everyone other room in the house was occupied other than the kitchen, Chris was tutoring Robin on her geography, which he was fairly versed in and she completely failed at, building his way up to asking her about her boyfriend. She didn't keep secrets, but at the same time, no one really knew much about her boyfriend, or even what they did when they were together. Praying that she was still... intact... Chris was thinking about the best way to approach the subject without scaring her off. Looking after his little sister when their parents died, he knew a thing or two about teenage girls.

"I'm surprised that you haven't just barreled into it. My father would have." She cocked her head to the side, making it perfectly clear that she knew what this was really about, "Daddy sent you in to snoop around, didn't he?"

Caught off guard that she would just blurt it all out like that, he reminded himself that she had spent the last five years under Barry's roof, "You know that he promised your mother."

"We all know that, and we also know that he is not above using his friends to get to us. Jill has already done this with Polly, and Rebecca had 'spoken' to Moira, so... It's kinda obvious why you're here. So, what does he want to know?" She crossed her arms, slouching in her seat with her legs crossed.

"You've been seeing this guy for the last few months, but we don't know anything about him." Chris was also curious about the lack of information, knowing Robin and what kind of girl she was.

Not wanting to have this conversation, especially with Chris of all people, she shrugged, "The first few weeks don't count, so really, we've just been dating for the past two weeks."

It hurt, lying to Chris like that, but the thought of him knowing why she was really doing this hurt worse. He was always on her mind, and that was no exaggeration, becuase almost every thought she had could be brought back to him if she allowed it. Unsure if she was in love with him or not, she forced herself to date David, not that he was a bad person, he was just no Chris. David was funny, charming, kind, and even though he was a dealer, he was sweet. But even if he was Jesus, she doubted that she would be truly interested in him.

"Is that true?" Chris gave her a long, hard look, trying to crack her down so that she would confess to some huge lie.

She shook her head, "That's not what my 'father' really wants to know, is it Chris? Well, you can relax. I'm still in a virgin."

Flaming red, his ears lit up like a Christmas tree, "...That's good..."

Chuckling, Robin reached over the chair arm and patted his knee, "It's alright, you don't have to be embarrassed. I'm an adult now. A PMSing, garter-wearing, lace sporting, zombie-killing, ass kicking, gun-toting woman. Well, actually, I've always worn lacy panties, so only the PMS is new... Oops. Sorry, Chris!"

She had gotten a bit carried away with her rant and had revealed too much. Again. Thankfully, she was saved from another awkward minute by David, whom had driven to her house to pick her up for their date. Dashing out of the door before Chris could recover and stop her, she hopped into his car, if you can call the rust bucket that he drove a car. David grinned at her, running his hand along her thigh as he sped off, and she held his hand, more to prevent an accident than anything else.

"Girl, I found the perfect place for a little chat. It's got a view of the city that you would not believe." He said, pulling up a dirt road to park near the edge of a cliff.

"Wow... It's beautiful." She gasped, breath literally stolen at the view. Below them, the city was flattened out, sprawling in all directions as far as the eye could see.

"Robin," David was looking at her, hooded green eyes gleaming in the light, squeezing her hands in his, "I love you."

Was he saying that just to get into her fancies, or did he really mean it? And more importantly, what did she want him to mean by that? Was it better for him to mean it, given her feelings for Chris, or was it for the best that he was only saying that becuase he was using her just as much as she was using him? And was she even ready to give it up? It wasn't like she would ever actually be with Chris, so what was she waiting for? But if she were to give in, how would that look? It would look bad, but if she didn't get any practice in now, that might complicate things later. Being young and innocent when it came to sex, what did Robin know about these kinds of things?

"Yeah," She nodded, smiling brightly, "That's nice."

Shrugging off his confusion at her odd behavior, he bent over the gearshift, roughly kissing her with a sort of desperate urgency. Surprised that she was in this situation, she kissed him back, imagining that it was Chris that was kissing her. Snapping her eyes open, she looked at David in horror, but he didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary. In fact, he was halfway over the gearshift, his tongue down her throat and his hand rising up her skirt, which she suddenly regretted wearing. But she had come this far, so she might as well just go with it...

**A Few Minutes Later...**

David had brought Robin back to his place before they had done anything more than make-out, showing that he had more class than to do his girl in the backseat. Robin noticed that some of his more frequent clients were lounging around the living room, weed and something else infusing with the air. Being an outdoorsy girl, the air was stifling and weighed Robin down, but maybe that was also the shame of what she was about to do. Leading her into the very back room, David showed her to the bed, which was supported by a cinder block at either end. The walls were hung in posters of girls, and a stack of nudie mags made up one corner of the room. At least that meant that he was being faithful.

"Come here, baby." He sat down at the edge of the bed, patting it.

Feeling a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach, she sat next to David who launched back into where they had left off in the car. Wrapping his arms around her back, he undid her bra, yanking her shirt off at the same time. She gulped, afraid of how he would react to her body, which had been scared by the shotgun that had killed Onni, though she bore more marks than that, both inside and out. He didn't seem to mind her disfigured flesh, more focused on her bare breasts.

"Um, do you have a thing?" She was nervous now, her brain shutting itself off while all of this happened.

He smirked at her, pulling a line of condoms from his pocket, "Always."

**About Ten Minutes After That...**

Wide-eyed as Bambi's mother when she was shot, Robin could only stare at the ceiling. Thankful that she was wrapped in the sheets, the people from the living room came into the bedroom, one of them sitting on the edge of the bed, a frown on his face and his eyes more black than white. The only other girl was leaning against an older gentleman, eyes equally as buggy as the guy on the bed. David seemed unfazed by the interruption, not even bothering to see how Robin reacted to the intrusion.

"Man, that bed squeaks too much. It almost killed my buzz. Almost." A tall skinhead in a checkered shirt glared at David.

The first one to see Robin, the girl stumbled and fell into the bed with them, "Hey, you're a new face. I'm Mirra, and you're Robin, ain't cha? Yep, David's been taking about you alot he has. Bit annoying."

"Mirra, leave the girl alone. She just had her cherry popped." The guy who had been holding Mirra earlier said knowingly, "I've heard that many a time in my day."

Mirra rolled her eyes, "Can't hear nothing, can you, you crazy ol' coot! If he can hear that, then I'm a virgin."

David snorted, previously talking to the skinhead in a whisper, "Mirra, you haven't been a virgin since Mick Jagger became famous."

She smiled, "Ah, the memories."

"So," the guy at the foot of the bed looked at David intently, "Are we going to do this or not?"

"What are you going to do?" To anyone else, it would have been obvious that they were talking about drugs, but naive little Robin didn't get it.

Mirra answered, "Drugs, my sweet, drugs. Mind-numbing, memory cleansing drugs."

Handing David some kind of rubber tube and a syringe, the skinhead shoved Mirra over and sat on the last free spot on the bed. She growled, licking his face and taking a small, white tablet from his pocket, slipping one on both of their tongues. The old man removed a baggy of mushrooms from his pocket, swapping it for another bag of white powder with the man on the edge of the bed. Not looking at his friends, David injected himself with the syringe, passing the needle to Robin. She took it, looking at it in wonder.

"You gonna take a hit of that or what, baby?" He asked, offering her the rubber tube.

**In The Present...**

Leading them inside the bunker, Suvi filled them in on the protocols and procedures observed by the facility. Robin listened intently, keeping pace with Chris so that he couldn't "accidentally" get lost. It wasn't Chris that she was worried about, other than the fact that they were working, she trusted him with her life - It was Suvi that she distrusted. Suvi seemed to share the sentiment however, questioning the girl. Agent Redfield seemed to know her quite intimately, but there was just something about Robin that Suvi didn't like. Her file had been cleared by the BSAA, but she felt that Robin was using her connections to pull some strings for her, which wasn't entirely untrue.

"...Brake. But whatever you do, DO NOT leave the bunker at night. I know that it hinders us, but believe me, you do not want to break that rule." Suvi shivered at the thought of breaking that one rule.

Versed on the mission during the ride over, Chris and Robin were confident that this would be a cakewalk. All they had to do was arrest a former Tricell employee, one Noah Walker, believed to have been involved with the Uroboros Project a year ago. Why they had to work with Suvi was beyond them, but they weren't about to go pointing fingers prematurely, well, at least Chris wasn't.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> I should have said this in the last chapter, but the reason I made David a dealer was in homage to one of my favorite werewolf movies ever, "_Ginger Snaps_". If you haven't seen the movie, I would recommend it (though it's kinda cheesy). As for Robin, more than half of this chapter was when she was a teenager, so of course she's going to be young and stupid and make mistakes. Maybe I failed, but I was trying to show how immature she used to be, as opposed to her now (which is immature in another way). DRUGS ARE VERY BAD! Though I think I did an alright job of that part, considering that the closet I get to that kind of stuff is the movies that I watch...

**To Recap This Chapter:** Daughter dating David the dealer, Barry sends in Chris for answers, but all he gets is a heart attack. Going out with her boyfriend, he tells her that he loves her, and she ponders the repercussions of his words. Meeting some of his friends, Robin is offered a syringe. In the present, Suvi tells them not to leave the bunker at night, though she is suspicious of Robin, convinced that she is hiding something.

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All respective properties, like, but not limited to, songs, belong to their respective brands. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	7. Should I Stay or Should I Go?

**Raccoon City...**

Slammed between row upon row of quaint, suburban complexes, complete with green grass, black shutters, spacious parking lots, and fenced off swimming pools, Rebecca's apartment was in a particularly crowded area of downtown Raccoon City. Or it was, before the outbreak. Now, streets that were once paved with laughing children and newly weds were abandoned, a hollow breeze rattling the "for sale" signs. The sun was still in the sky, casting rays of gold across the still waters, bits of trash and discarded luggage strewn about the ground. The area was empty, void of all life, aside from the small group that worked its way into the center most building. But for a residential area, why was it so vacant?

Skirting the tacky wall, observing every door carefully before crossing it and ducking underneath every curtained window, Rebecca lead everyone up the stairs to her apartment. Scouting for signs of the undead that just weren't there, Billy had her back, and Robin was behind him, sandwiched between him and her brother, her knife ready to strike at a seconds notice. Alastair had been given a spare handgun Billy had acquired on his journey. Pushing the polished double door open, she allowed everyone else in first, taking a more familiar place in the back. The pewter ceiling just brushing past eight feet on each floor, glass hanging artfully by nearly invisible strings, eggshell stucco supporting the floors above at exact right angles, darkened marble running up lofty staircase that were wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side, railings made of charcoal looped iron, similar to the modernized rooms, all painted in cool, neutral colors.

"Nice digs." Billy whistled, casting an impressed glance around the foyer, never guessing in a million years that Rebecca would live in such an upscale place, "So, where is it?"

She suddenly felt like a snob for living in a place like this, even though her parents had wired her the money from their summer home in Hawaii, "On the third floor."

Robin took a hesitant step closer to her, "Should we make sure that this place is secure first?"

Alastair proudly clapped his little sister shoulder, "She has a point."

"On the other hand," Robin thought about own suggestion some more, "we should get the hell out of dodge before its too late, and conserve our ammo. Who knows what we'll meet out there."

Rebecca and Billy exchanged glances, knowing that among other things, ammo conservation was key to surviving situations like these, "No, we should head over to Rebecca's."

Betting that she knew about these monster things becuase of Onni, Rebecca walked next to her as they ascended the stairs, "That was amazingly good advice."

Robin nodded, still a bit shy, "Onni loved monsters, and becuase we were all so close, we learned a lot. I just never expected that I'd ever have to use any of it. And what about you? You seem to know quite a lot yourself."

Overhearing their conversation, not that it was whispered to exclude anyone, Billy chimed in, "She might not look like much, but Rebecca knows what she's doing."

Blushing, Rebecca once again reflexively held onto his dog tags, which Billy definitely saw. So, she was still wearing them? Figuring that she had kept them as proof of his death, he had wondered what became of them, assuming that they had been locked away in some box, never to see the light again, but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that she would be wearing them to this day. In a way it made sense that she would wear them, because after all, they had been through so much together, and that was the only thing they had that proved that the nightmare had happened.

Reaching the second floor, they found that they were not alone in the building, thank the fucking stars. The anticipation and solitude were overwhelming on the nerves. A little boy not much older than Armas was staring out of the window, in his arms an orange fluff ball. Meowing for food, an adorable, green-eyed kitten was pawing at the boy, though he seemed to take no notice. Being protectively close to her younger brother, Robin broke away from the group, concerned for the boy's safety.

"Are you alone?" She beamed at him, holding out her hand, leaving Rebecca to wonder how she was bashful.

The boy shook his head, pointing to the door of a room catty-corner from the stairs, "I can't get in. Would you help me?"

Twisting the door open, the baby cat pounced from the boy's arms darting inside, nudging the door open further. Not moving from the window, the boy looked at the others, still standing by the stairs with their guards half-up. In the pitch blackness of the room, three pairs of inhuman, bloodshot eyes lit up, eying the foolish human with blood-lust. Involuntarily screaming, she backed away from the door, dagger clattering to the floor, but she wasn't fast enough - a dog had lunged at her, knocking her on her back and pinning her down. Red teeth gleaming, she reached for the knife, grasping the hilt as she brought it around into the dog's leg, cleanly severing it. Throwing the skinned canine off before it could retaliate, Billy shot the dog point-blank.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him in gratitude and admiration, "You saved me. Thank you."

"We're not done yet!" He helped her up, tossing her to the back.

Bum rushing them, two zombies barreled out of the room, arms outstretched to grab their prey. Running to their aid, the others fired their guns at the monsters, stopping them in their tracks. Forgetting the little boy, they had their backs to the window, leaving Robin to stand uselessly behind. The boy saw that they were distracted, so he grabbed Robin, holding his own knife to her throat. Thinking of Onni, Armas, and her parents, Robin refused to give in, so she grabbed his arm, slashing viciously at him with her free hand. Not letting her go, she headbutted him, stabbing and shanking him until she was free. Freed, she collapsed into her brother's arms. He didn't coddle her, pushing her into a standing up position.

"Just a little more" He grinned encouragingly, nodding toward the stairs.

Billy passed her, giving her a small nod, "Good job, kid."

Rebecca patted her shoulder, "You handled that like a pro!"

Collecting themselves, they continued to the stairs, hurrying before anything could be drawn to the racket they had made. Thankfully the landing was empty, and even more fortuitously, Rebecca's room was the very first door they came to. Removing the key from her pocket, she unlocked the door, letting the kids in first. Her place was messy and far from the hotel clean of the rest of the building, so it looked real, which in the chaos around them was an immense comfort. Locking the door behind them, Rebecca immediately went to the closet where she kept her guns and ammunition, pulling out a SIG P226 for Robin, a Mossberg M500A Persuader for billy, and a Riot gun for Alastair, along with additional arms and ammo. Robin took the handgun she had been given, looking at it thoroughly before aiming it at an imaginary foe. Alastair worriedly fussed over her, giving Billy an opportunity to speak with Rebecca privately for the first time.

"How are you holding up, Rebecca?" She had forgotten how smooth his voice was, and ever so pleasing to the ears.

"I've been better, but I've been worse too..." She shivered, visions of the second mansion flooding her brain, "But what about you? I thought that you would have left the city behind."

He looked at her, a ghost of a smirk on his face, "I would have, but when I realized that the monsters were going to come here, I thought about you."

"I thought about you every day since..." She broke off, mortified that she had said that, especially since that was the first time she had even acknowledged it.

He laughed a her, stroking her face with the palm of his hand, "Rebecca."

"Billy..." She uttered his name lightly, getting on the tips of her toes so that her arms could reach his neck.

Seeing that things were heating up between the two, Alastair shoved Robin into the bathroom, closing the door behind himself. He knew that it was Rebecca's apartment, but didn't she have any decency? Robin was just a child, not even a teenager yet! Well, he supposed that a little down time would be alright, so he decided to take the time to look after his little sister. Swiping her hair behind her ears, he took in her ragged appearance, seeing that she was still covered in blood, so he grabbed a white hand towel from the rack above the toilet, running it under a hot tap.

Standing next to the shower, she pointed her thumb over her shoulder, "They're going to have sex, aren't they?"

He nodded, unsure about what to tell her about that, so instead, he just pressed the wet washcloth to her face, wiping away the grime that coated her. She sat on the toilet, after closing the lid, and let her brother clean her up. She was tired, miserable, hungry, and in pain, yet this ordeal was far from over. Relaxing a bit, she realized that she had been hit by the spray that had killed Onni, and that ninety percent of the pain she was feeling was from that. Curling into a ball, she fell off of the seat and onto the floor, rolling around in agony. Too busy caring for his sister, Alastair didn't know that he had also been hurt.

**Finland...**

Jerking awake, Robin sat up in bed, her undershirt sticking to her skin with sweat. Holding her head, she recounted visions of mutilated human remains, dogs that had been skinned and pulled inside out, and the screaming faces of her family. They were swimming in her brain like a swarm of angry bees, waking her up from a troubled and paranoid sleep. Grunting in aggravation and falling back down onto the mattress, Robin cursed Suvi, becuase if she hadn't convinced Chris that they should start their search in the morning, she wouldn't be in this room right now, trying to sleep.

"Oh, Chris!" Suvi cried out from the next room over, startling Robin so badly, she wondered if she hadn't fallen back asleep.

"Chris?" Robin jumped out of bed, almost breaking the wall when she clung to it in a desperate attempt to see if Chris was really in there with her.

Because the bunker had such thin walls, thin enough for a two pound chihuahua to break, she could clearly make out what was happening on the other side. Stomach falling out of a highly unlikely and physically impossible place, she turned away from the sheet metal, hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes. How could this happen? Chris wouldn't do this sort of thing during a mission... But becuase of Suvi's stalling, they weren't really on the mission yet... It all made perfect sense now.

Hustling back to the bed, she grabbed her things from the wide space underneath the bed, pulling her jacket, vest, and hat on as she left the room. Looking around the lonely hallways, high barred windows casting shadows over the uneven floor, she counted two soldiers who were patrolling the passage way. They saw her, but left each other alone, the guys clearly in no mood to deal with a crying woman. Too distraught to be ashamed of her open sorrow, Robin stalked by them, throwing dirty looks over her shoulder toward Chris and Suvi. Sure that no one else was around, Robin found one of the nine exits and looked at the heavily nailed door. When she left, she would be turning her back on everything that she had fought for. But the only reason she even wanted this in the first place was becuase of him, so, really, what was there to lose? Unfastening the padlocks and shoving the door open with both hands, Robin stepped out into the edge of a forest. Casting one look back, she took a deep breath, treading softly through the snow into the pine trees...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Thank you so much, "Angelxwings" for telling me! I honestly had no idea about that, so I changed my summary the moment you told me(although it took five times to come up with something I liked)! Plagiarism is the absolute worst thing that anyone could do, so thank you again if you happen to see this! And to Padme4000, thank you again for all of the awesome reviews! I really do take the advice to heart, so you rock! Seeing that Rebecca was rear guard in S.T.A.R.S., I think that it's weird for her to be leading the group, so, she only did that for the children's sake, and so they they could find her place intact. Fun fact, the guns I chose, Robin's handgun and the guys' shotguns, are weapons from RE0 and RE5, both of which Rebecca was in (counting Gold/Alternate Edition). And from this chapter on, unless having a flashback or otherwise specified, "Raccoon City" is going to be the past, when she escaped from the city, and "Finland" is going to refer to the present, during the mission. Kinda obvious and self explanatory, but I don't want anyone getting confused, so there it is. Ay-ay-ay, this was the chapter of a million rewrites...

**To Recap This Chapter:** Rebecca leads the crew back to her apartment, where she hooks up with Billy at long last. But before that can happen, the group is attacked on the second floor. While the adults are busy, Alastair looks after his little sister, finding out that she had also been hurt by the blast that had killed their brother. Presently, Robin wakes up from a nightmare, only to hear Suvi screaming "Chris". She freaks out and leaves the bunker, despite Suvi's multiple warnings. Looking back at Chris and everything he symbolizes, she walks into the forest. Idiot.

**Songs:** Ok, I've been meaning to add this for a while now, but better late than never! I'll kick this off with Metalica's "All Nightmare Long", going to Cradle of Flith's "Nymphetamine" (which was on the soundtrack for Apocalypse), and finally "Weak and Powerless" by A Perfect Circle. And this chapter, The Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go?", needs no explanation I trust.

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All respective properties, like, but not limited to, songs, belong to their respective brands. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	8. Broken

Chris stared into the crushing darkness, unable to do so much as relax with the noise that Suvi was making. Bulging biceps covering his ears and forearms on his forehead, he thought of Robin who was in the room between them, wondering how she could put up with the sound. Then again, Robin could put up with almost anything. That was one of the most extraordinary things about her - she dealt with so much, and she did it alone without complaining. Robin had endured his training when they weren't even speaking, kept him company when things were strained, and she... No, he squeezed his eyes closed, refusing to think of the almost kiss. It had been a year since that had happened, but it would be lying to say that he hadn't thought about it since...

**What Felt Like Lifetimes Ago...**

Gazing into her silvery, saffron sprinkled eyes, imprisoned by their shine and intensity, he brushed his fingertips over her cheek to lock behind her head. Tangling her arm around his neck, Robin pressed herself ever so lightly against him. He could feel her heart beating against his own, her chest melding against his perfectly. On the brink of their lips meeting, her cellphone went off, the familiar tune alerting them both that Barry was calling. Cursing, she took the call, allowing him and his mind time to wander.

What had possessed him to do that? He had known her before she had even hit puberty, and yet here he was, wanting nothing more than to touch her. Sure, there was moment, but there had been thousands of moments before, and he had never once thought about crossing that line. So why couldn't he get it out of his head now? It was taking every last ounce of his will to stop himself from closing her phone and throwing her back onto the bed. Judging by the way that she had reacted, clearly she must have wanted the same thing. No, that made it even worse!

No matter how much he had wanted to fling her back on the mattress and ravish her at the moment, they could never go anywhere near that road...

**Two years ago...**

Amongst the towering headstones of stone-faced angels and granite tombs surrounded by flowers, two figures sat on a hill that overlooked the entire cemetery. One was kneeling as if praying, the other was standing with their head bent respectfully down. After Raccoon City, Robin had wanted as little to do with corpses as possible, so she found this hilltop which gave her a clear view of her family plot, and she would visit it every year on the anniversary of their deaths. This was the tenth year that she had come, and this time, she was not alone. Rebecca had come with her every single year since the very beginning, but she had always stayed at the bottom of the hill to allow Robin her privacy, however, she had been unable to make it this year. Also a survivor of Raccoon City, Rebecca's husband had stayed with his wife while she waited at the foothill, but he too was unable to make the trip.

Looking down at the single marker that was only there for her piece of mind, a bodiless brass plaque that was only the symbolic resting place of her entire family, their bodies lost in the nuclear wasteland that had once been a thriving metropolis, she turned to look at her companion, ivy vines twisting underfoot and weeping willow tendrils swaying in the breeze, "Thank you, for coming here with me. It means a lot to me that I could share this with you."

"No, thank you for letting me join you." Barry smiled at his daughter, the first person she had actually taken up the hill.

Snot and tears running down her face in rivulets, she turned her back on the grave, running into her father's arms, "Daddy!"

He stroked her back, leading her down the hill to where her mother and sisters were waiting, "There, there, we're here for you. We always be."

**Valentine's Day, 2010...**

Jill hated this day more than any other day of the year. It wasn't the kissing couples or showers of hearts or the bouquets or the expectations and shattered hopes, it was simply because of her last name. Ever since she could remember, there has always been at least one pun at her expense, so without fail, after years and years of annoyance, she would hide out and take refuge from the idiots. This year, she was hiding at Chris's apartment, where she usually went to seek refuge. Sprawled on the couch, book in hand, Jill kicked back while he got ready for his date, though she failed to fathom why he even bothered going out in the first place.

Wearing a plain green tee-shirt, tight becuase of his muscles, Chris picked up Jill's legs and sat down next to her, allowing her jeaned legs to fall back across his lap, "Maybe I should just cancel."

"And do what instead?" She lazily turned the page of her million-page medical drama, "Barry's taking Kathy out to the place where they had their first date, and the girls are going to be spending their night with their boyfriends."

"Robin has a boyfriend?" He asked, voice a little too level.

She rolled her eyes, tugging on the sleeves of her powder-blue sweater to cover her cold wrists, "With her schedule? I'm surprised you give the poor thing time to sleep."

He had been keeping Robin busy so that they couldn't speak about what had happened, not so she couldn't go out. Though, he thought to himself, that was certainly a perk. For Barry. Of course it was a perk for her father, and only for him. What should he care if she dates? Reading her old partner easier than a picture book, Jill shook her head, knowing exactly what he was thinking. The reason his dates never worked out was for one simple reason - Chris was hung up on a girl already. On the other hand, she had no idea why it was so hard to admit it.

Jill set her book down on the glass coffee table, worn spine up in the air, "Why don't we just spend the day together? For old times sake?"

Caught completely off guard, he almost agreed to her invitation, "Jill...?"

She smirked, only testing him, "You really do have a one track mind, don't you?"

So, it wasn't her that he wanted, that was good. They had tried the whole dating thing before, but it failed due to a lack of sexual chemistry, go figure after everything that they had been through together. But, if it wasn't her, then just who was it that Chris did desire? Well, if Jill knew one thing, it was that Chris was interested in some woman, and whoever she was, it was someone that he could never have...

**By The Sea, The Beautiful Sea... 2010**

Feeling the spray of the frothy, aqua sea in her face and the rush of the sandy wind in her hair, she danced around in the shallow waters. Finally, after years of schooling, she had graduated! Falling down, Robin broke out into hysterical laughter, splashing water at Katie. Katie grinned like an idiot, pawing water back at her friend. Sitting underneath gigantic beach umbrellas, ironically red and white, Rebecca watched the girls playing, taking a sip from her water bottle. Her husband was also watching them, but while his wife mused over how two grown women could act like children, he was keeping an eye for danger, such as perverts or sharks.

"I never would have guessed that Robin would smile like that, not after what she had went through in just one twenty-four hour period." Rebecca commented, setting her bottle back on the over-sized towels, blown up hibiscus in varying shades of blue and green.

"She really is an amazing child." He had been saying that for years however, so for all intents and purposes, he might as well have been talking about the weather.

"Billy, do you realize that she's an adult now, don't you?" Maybe it was becuase of everything that they've seen and done in Raccoon City, or maybe it was becuase in the world Robin lived in, everyone treated her as an equal, but Rebecca had always acknowledged her.

He snorted, "Maybe you should be having this conversation with Chris."

Rebecca frowned, "Chris? He knows that she's an adult... Oh, you mean becuase he won't get over the fact that she's Barry's daughter. But it's not like she's making a move either."

"Something like that," He had meant that as a man, Chris was more than aware that Robin was woman.

If only Chris could see that...

**Finland, Twenty Four Hours Earlier...**

Keeping to the shadows, a man in a lab coat followed the damp, underground passageway. Cut into the earthen walls at unnatural angles, brass doors leered at him at random intervals, judging him for intruding on their solitude. No end in sight of the labyrinthine hallway, the man opened a door on the right with a red sign on it that said "Caution: Control Room". Checking that things were copacetic, the man opened what looked like a miniature cabinet, pouring in the contents an unmarked vial. Smirking, he left the room, breaking the key in the lock...

**Twenty Five Hours Later...  
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Coughing, one of the two sentry men who Robin passed by turned to his companion, noting that he had been scratching himself an awful lot. Nor had he spoken much in the past few hours. Pondering the reasons why, the guard decided to tell his commanding officer of his concerns when his shift was over. Or maybe even in the morning. Yes, the morning sounded more appealing, becuase he was usually dead tired after the deary business of patrolling the same blasted hallway for hours on end. Resigned to his decision, the man nodded to himself, almost as if affirming his choice, and he slouched back against the wall. Without warning, the second guard suddenly fell to the floor, dead.

"Jari?" The first man panicked, rushing to his co-worker's side, checking his pulse, "Jari!"

Stirring, Jari bit his friend, causing him to scream in pain. Hearing the commotion outside his room, Chris poked his head into the hallway, catching sight of the dead soldier. Rushing from her own room, clad in a sheer floor-length robe, Suvi saw the man kneeling next to his friend. Sneering, she assessed the situation, drawing her pistol from the top of her robe, and shot both men pointblank before they could do so much as twitch. Going back into her room to get dressed, Chris felt a pang of sorrow for the guard who had been standing next to the deceased, but this was the life of a soldier...

"...No, you go back to your station, Chris." Suvi ordered someone who was in her room, cold heartedly dismissing the men she had just killed.

Turning back to get his things, Chris Redfield noticed that Robin hadn't come out of her room to see what the noise was. Odd, a little too odd. Disregarding formalities, he unceremoniously opened her door, jawing locking when he saw that she was gone. Running back into his room for his supplies, he was cut off by Suvi before he could make it out of the depressing sleeping quarters.

"Where do you think you're going?" She held both arms out, blocking off the doorway.

He didn't have time for this, "Robin isn't in her room."

She arched an eyebrow, clearly unconcerned, "As sad as that is, we have a job to do, and from the looks of things, our job just got a lot more pressing."

Overhearing their conversation, another guard recounted seeing her leave, "We saw a girl leave here not an hour ago. Went out the back, crying."

"Crying?" Chris cocked his head to the side, connecting the same dots that Robin had.

She had overheard Suvi, and she must have thought that it was him... But why would she leave this place when under strict orders to stay? A small voice in the back of his head scoffed, '_Are you really that dense? You know why!'_. Robin had left becuase she thought that he had been screwing Suvi... No, it was deeper than that, and much more complicated. After years of denying it, he finally had to admit it... Robin had been in love with him. But how did he feel about her? He cared about her as if she were family, he worried over her whenever she put herself out there, he had been jealous over her when she had a boyfriend, he had wanted to hold her when she cried, he had wanted to make love with her, and yet, he was somehow still in the dark about how he truly felt. She was a woman, her own woman, and not just the daughter of a friend. She wasn't Barry's little girl anymore, she was the woman that he loved...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Man, that last chapter burnt me out... So, I decided to mix things up a bit, trying my hand at writing some "fluff". And a glimpse of what the others think about about Robin and Chris. I wanted to drag out the reveal that Chris liked Robin as well, but I think that I made you all suffer long enough. And by that, of course I mean that I had grown sick of trying to make it pure speculation. Probably an epic fail on my part, but hey, a least I tried! Woot, Sweeney Todd reference FTW!

**To Recap This Chapter:** Chris is in his room in the bunker, thinking about Robin. Turning back the hands of time, he thinks about the time in his room when they had almost kissed, and he recalls wanting more. A year prior to that, Robin visits her family's grave with Barry on the tenth anniversary of their death. Valentine spends Valentine's day with Chris, sure that he was lusting after someone that he couldn't have, though she fails to see who it is. And at the beach one day, Billy and Rebecca are talking about Chris's feelings for Robin. When a soldier falls from a virus, Chris discovers that Robin is gone... And now he has to own up to the truth...

**Song:** "Broken" by Seether. Such a heart breaker, but it fits so perfectly! In all fairness, I also debated using "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton. "Broken" just felt better.

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All respective properties, like, but not limited to, songs, belong to their respective brands. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	9. How Deep Is Your Love

Finding himself going against everything he's ever stood for, Chris realized that he had to chose between saving the world from bio-hazards or going after the woman who had stayed by his side through thick and thin. He loved what he did, and he did it quite well, but on the other hand, feelings for Robin aside, he had made a promise to keep her safe, and he had never broken a promise. He was eliminating threats for the good of those close to him, both living and deceased, but what about him? Wasn't he allowed some happiness? Hadn't he avenged those lives he had been unable to save?

Having walked alongside death for over a decade, he knew what it felt like to lose friends, and becuase of that, he could surmise how painful it would be to face the world without Robin in it. After knowing her, a lifetime without her smile, without her warmth, and without her light would feel worse than Chris could imagine. He would continue to live his life, that much was for sure, but he knew that if he had had the chance to save her and didn't take it, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Suvi lowered her arms, turning her back to Chris, "Go after her then, if she really means that much to you. But I warn you, if you leave this premise, you're going in alone, as a civilian."

Expecting as much from the frigid ice queen, he cocked his gun, "I've never been much for orders anyways."

"Indeed." She had read the files of both Chris Redfield and Robin Burton, knowing full well his history with the Air Force prior to joining S.T.A.R.S..

"I'll bring her back, and then we'll help you get Noah," He promised, still bent on completing the mission.

She smirked challengingly, "Unless I get Mr. Walker first."

If only it had been that easy! Suvi moved aside for him, but not five seconds later, a zombie stumbled down the corridor, its toothy mouth slack and head bent to the side, hanging by a fraying glob of skin. Using his customized handgun, Chris had to shoot the beast five times before it went down, blood spraying the walls with each bullet he fired. It had been so many years since he had last fought an ordinary zombie, he had almost forgotten the reek of dried blood, the vomit-inducing stench of decaying flesh, and the pulse-pounding fear that came with the territory. Awaiting yet another undead monster, he rounded the corner, following Robin's path...

**In The Forest...**

Tribulation swam across her brain, heartache and panic fogging the rows of cedar and pine until they bled into the snow. Everything had gone white, and the sheer volume of the light was pinning her body immobile, but Robin knew that she had to move. She had to get up, but why did she need to? What was going on that forced her into this state? Reflecting, she recalled her trek from the bunker, a monstrosity at the pearly gates, but what had she been running from? No, she knew what she was being pursued by - the realization that she was in a one-sided relationship that only the demented could have invented. She had come to see the truth, and it was too great for her to bear, so she fled...

"Hey," A man a little younger than Chris with blonde hair and blue eyes was crouching where Robin was curled up next to a dimming fire. They were in a clearing, a fairly circular opening showing them the black, speckled night's sky. The snow was piled so high, there were only a few boulders high enough to serve as crude seats.

She blinked at him, thinking to herself that he was a bit of a dreamboat, and that if she weren't still hung up on Chris, she would be all over him in a red-hot minute, "What happened?"

He gave her a look as if he expected her to tell him him, "After you passed out, I patched you up."

Ears pricking from the cold, she reached up, feeling that her wool hat had been replaced with gauze, and she noticed that her hands were wrapped up too, "What did this to me? Did you see it?"

He hadn't expected her to ask that, positive that she should have known at least that much, but he told her regardless, "A bear."

Somehow, she had been expecting more than that, but it made sense, because the last thing she remembered was a searing pain in her head. So, she had been attacked by an ordinary bear, and he had saved her, whoever he was. After her experiences in Raccoon City, she had developed a fear of animals, and it came at her in full force, making her freeze. Embarrassed that she had frozen due to her zoophobia, she looked around the "camp", seeing that it was no more than a fire and their combined supplies. The snow had covered nearly everything, so she was amazed there was enough wood to kindle a fire. On second thought, being surrounded by wood, it wasn't _that_ surprising to her.

"So, you killed it?" Robin's head was pounding, but the feeling was ebbing away, "The bear? That was no ordinary bear, was it?"

It wasn't a question the second time, it was a statement. Things were slowly coming back to her, bit by bit. Robin had left the bunker and ran into the forest, getting herself lost, and then she was attacked by a brown bear. But it wasn't an ordinary bear - it had become mutated, somehow. Thankfully, the man had happened upon her, saving her from having her head torn off by its talon-like paws.

Looking at the man with gratitude, Robin asked softly, "Who are you?"

He gave her a small smile, "Name's Leon Kennedy."

She knew the name, though somehow, they had never met before, "I know you... You're Claire Redfield's friend. I know her brother, Chris. Robin Burton, by the way."

"Small world," He chuckled, "How's your head?"

Robin pressed her fingertips against the wound, cringing at the sharp feeling that spread from underneath her fingers, "Oww... I'll live."

Seeing the BSAA logo on her belt buckle earlier, Leon assumed that Robin was one of their operatives, though he had thought that they only moved in groups, "Where's the rest of your team?"

"No team, it's just me." She got up, grunting, and felt even more gauze around her waist, "How badly was I maimed?"

Leon watched her to make sure that she wouldn't topple over, "Let's just say you won't be going to the beach anytime soon."

When Robin had been attacked by the bear, Leon had tackled her out of the way, but her head had still been raked open, and the way she landed on the rocks, they had cut her up pretty bad. Mostly they were flesh wounds, but after shooting the bear with his shotgun, Leon had been thrown on top of her, causing the rocks to cut into her skin. Quickly pouncing back at the assailant, Leon fired off a few more rounds, only to get flung back by the frenzied creature when it barreled passed him to the fresh meat bleeding on the snow. Tearing into her side with its razor-sharp nails, jaws open, Leon dashed at the bear, flinging his knife up, into its eye. Roaring, the bear swiped at him, but being so agile, he was able to jump back before it could make contact. Ignoring Robin, the bear turned it's sights on him, tasting a last round before it fell down next to her, dead. In shock, she had missed the entire thing, the world whiting itself out.

"So, what are you doing out here?" Robin politely inquired.

The President had sent Leon to secure Noah Walker, who was trying to blackmail him, "That's classified."

"Secret Service. I'm here to apprehend a man named Noah Walker, for his involvement with the Oroboros Project." She told him nonchalantly, unsure of why she was still pursuing this. Maybe it was just her determination to see everything she starts through to the end, no matter how bitter that may be. Or to prove herself to someone who just had no interest in her whatsoever.

"Blackmail," He smirked, "It seems to me that we have a common goal."

"So it would seem," She inclined her head at the path before them, "Care to help a girl out? We wouldn't want another bear to get me, now would we?"

He nodded, more than used to being paired off with women doing tense situations, "Why not?"

Now teamed up with Leon S. Kennedy, Robin was forced to think on her feet. She very well couldn't just stroll back into the bunker, now could she? But where could they go? Deciding it would be in her best interests, she casually asked, "Where were you headed when you found me?"

He pointed at the direction opposite from the bunker, "Before I find you, I discovered a secret underground passage."

Thanking her lucky stars for that stroke of good fortune, she silently followed him to a hollowed out tree that seemed to reach the bowels of Hell itself. About to jump in first, Leon held his hand out to her, pulling a demure orange glow stick from his supplies, tossing it down the hole after igniting it. Falling through the blackness, they saw that the chute wasn't as high as it looked by a long shot. Going in after the still lit lantern, Leon descending into the earth, arms out to catch Robin. Completely ignoring his outstretched arms, she landed in a crouch, dusting off her knees as she stood. On the inside, she deeply regretted doing that, becuase it made her sick, and the landing hurt her knees.

"Thanks, but I'm more durable than you would guess." She shrugged, handing him the glow stick.

"Apparently," He took the light from her, amused and impressed by the girl.

Now he understood what Claire meant when she called her older brother an idiot...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> A little Leon, anyone? The very beginning of this chapter was kinda hard, becuase I wanted Chris to have an internal struggle over what to do, and becuase of his past with the Air Force, you know, the whole disobeying orders thing that lead to him joining S.T.A.R.S., I wasn't sure about how to go about it. I think that I did an alright job, but you'll have to be the judge of that, my readers. And loyal reviewer! And finally, I get to Leon! I've been waiting to put him in forever now! Well, whatever. He's here now.

**To Recap This Chapter:** Suvi asks Chris its going to be: The mission, or Robin. Having made a promise to keep her safe, Chris goes after Robin, promising Suvi that once he brings her back, they'll complete the mission. Attacked by a zombie, Chris must now fight his way to Robin. Robin, meanwhile, has already been attacked by a mutated brown bear, only to be saved by a handsome stranger. Revealing himself to be none other than Leon S. Kennedy, they agree to work together, finding a secret passageway.

**Song:** By the Bee Gees, "How Deep Is Your Love"!

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All respective properties, like, but not limited to, songs, belong to their respective brands. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	10. Suicide Note

Going down the dimly lit passageway, old oil lanterns lining the high brick walls, melting snow was seeping the walls with brackish water, transforming the ashen surface into a shimmering fun house mirror, Robin followed Leon, handgun by her hip as she walked. Pace steady, all they could hear was the sound of their footsteps echoing off of the artificial checkered stone floor. And all she could think of was her throbbing head, the weight of it slowly becoming too much for her neck, her vision distorting in a haze. Limbs tingling, everything about her body seemed heavy, from her pinky toe to her lashes, to her nose and hips.

"The ... end. ... tomorrow... and ... ." Leon was speaking normally, but between the thudding in her ears, that was all that she could make out.

"Uh-huh?" She wanted to ask him to repeat himself, but her tongue felt thick in her mouth and throat.

Looking over his shoulder at her, Leon noticed that she was beginning to lag miles behind, dragging her numb-looking body against the wall, "Robin?"

Bobbing her head at him with her back to the icy wall, she blinked, eyes remaining closed, her legs giving out from underneath her so that she fell straight down, but he caught her before she could hit the floor...

**Reflecting In A Prison Of Her Own Making...**

Struggling to see straight, Robin opened her eyes to a world of glass. Everything that surrounded her was a gilded mirror, trapping her in a perfect cube, and shards of every color hung from the ceiling. In the middle of this room, if that's what you could call it, there was a dinning chair made of frosted glass, just waiting for her to sit in it. She was exhausted, and the chair looked comfortable enough, if not downright welcoming. Taking one cautious step after another, she sat in the chair, and nothing happened. Nothing at all. Looking around from her chair, she expected to see something, anything, but nothing came to her. She was alone, and she would always be alone...

Everything she had ever done, it all seemed so unimportant. She had lived a decent life to be sure, but at the end of the day, who would be there to share it with her? The romantic side of Robin had insisted that it would be Chris, and the logical side had told her that this would happen, but to actually see nothing before her? They had shared so much together, but it wasn't enough apparently. Then again, that wasn't so bad, becuase if things were measured in things shared, she would certainly lose to Jill. Chris didn't love Robin, hell, she might not even have registered as a blip on his radar...

As everything fell into place, Robin fell into despair...

**Underneath The Stars...**

Laying on a steep hillside in early autumn, the full moon just an arms length away, Robin craned her neck to get a better look at the person next to her. Despite the gluttonous orb drenching them in an argent glow, the orange-red leaves cast a long shadow over the man. She smiled her brightest smile at him, wrapping her hand in his, a diamond ring shining on her left ring finger, a matching albeit thicker one on the man. The man rolled over, kissing her forehead, resting his free hand on her infinitely inflated stomach.

"I love you," She breathed.

"I love you too, Mrs. Kennedy." Leon sat up, tracing spirals on her belly, "And our baby."

Mrs. Kennedy? No, that couldn't have been right. Robin was supposed to marry Chris! Wasn't she? It wasn't like she had had a claim on him, nor had he ever showed any kind of desire for her, but that was supposed to change, wasn't it? But how could it, when he obviously only viewed her as Barry's daughter? Why had she ever thought that it could be between them? She really was delusional, wasn't she? But why was she married to Leon, about to have his child? Had she actually moved on? Or had she forced herself to love someone else becuase it was never going to happen with Chris? But a life without Chris... No, even worse, a life of her with anyone else but him was the most horrifying thing that she could imagine.

"Leon, tell me again how we fell in love?" She battered her lashes, trying to be seductive when all she really felt was utter terror.

He chuckled, rubbing her womb absentmindedly, "Trying to be seductive again? Isn't that what got us here in the first place?"

"Was it?" She asked innocently, amazed that he hadn't picked up on her hysteria.

Sighing, he gave in to her, "We spent so much time together, it was inevitable. It helped that you were on the rebound."

"Oh..." She sounded disappointed, so he looked at her worriedly.

Kissing her tenderly, he backed away, his face morphing into Chris's before fading out entirely...

**Another Time, Another Place...**

Sitting on a swing set tied to a weeping willow, arms bound to the rope, intertwined with thorned roses, blood tricking from where the thorns stabbed her, Robin struggled against her bonds. Jerking this way and that, the thorns went deeper into her skin, making her bleed faster. Unable to break free, inevitably causing herself further injury, she fell forward in defeat. How could things have ended up this way? Why was it so easy to just give in to her petty sorrows? Wasn't she stronger than that? Wasn't she a survivor? Where did her fight go? Would anyone blame her for letting go?

That last one was easy. Her family had died for her, just to get her to this point, and she knew that they would haunt her for the rest of her life if she were to just surrender. Her new family as well. And Billy and Rebecca, and Jill, and Katie, and... What would Chris say, if he knew the truth? Would he despise her for allowing this to get her down? Or would he understand that...that...that there was nothing for him to understand. If she let this kill her, she was only a coward, unworthy of the life she had been given. She couldn't have that, now could she? So what if a guy didn't love her, Robin loved herself, and she still had so much to live for!

Finding her strength, Robin raised her head, seeing the dawn stretched before her, her friends waiting for her in its light...

**The Soft Embrace Of Unconsciousness...**

Spitting out copious amounts of blood, Kelby's eyes opened slowly, fluttering after years and years of being closed. Raising from her slumber, she hit her head on the wooden edges of her coffin. Wasn't that inconvenient? Pressing her palms to the lid, she slid the lid off easier than butter slides down warm toast. That was much better. Standing up, Kelby looked around, seeing a field of flowers instead of a cemetery. And in the middle of the field was a small little robin, crying its little eyes out. Pitying the creature, she scooped it into her hand, seeing that its wing was broken.

"You can still fly, so long as you try. Everything in life can be done with hard work and determination. Never give up, no matter how many things are stacked against you." Kelby's strict nature shone even when as she cooed to the bird, "Don't forget it, or you'll regret it."

**Finland, Leon...**

Holding Robin in his well-toned arms, the walls too sullied and slick to lean her against, he watched Robin fight for survival. Eyes darting back and forth underneath pale lids, she seemed as if she were waging a war. Regardless of the outcome, if she didn't wake up soon, Leon would have no choice but to carry on without her. Then again, who knew who could come along while he was away? Thinking it in everyone's best interests, he slung her across his back, carrying her piggy-back. Right arm dangling lifelessly over his shoulder, he flashed a small smile when her hand twitched on its own accord. She was one tough bird after all.

**The Zombie Infested Bunker...**

Finding himself at the door Robin had used to leave the compound, Chris was already covered in gore and zombie guts. Unsurprisingly, nearly the entire workforce seemed to have become zombified, and due to the incident with Jari, a number of them had gathered in a cluster. Just great. But he had made it to the door, only to find that it wouldn't budge an inch. Pushing his full weight against the metal, pounding his meaty fists against the rough metal, nothing he did so much as left a dent.

"Chris!" Suvi stood behind him, a machine-gun strapped to her side, "The building as been put on lock down, you need to find the security office and turn off the power. Here, take this map. And, this key. You might need it later."

He took the items from her, shocked that she was helping him after their dissension, "Thanks."

She waved him off, turning around and running off. Looking at the hefty brass key placed in his hand, a small silver tag read "B-2".

Nice...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>A bit of Kill Bill, another Labyrinth reference, one from Tangled too, and a really messed up swing set. Nice. Oh, and before people freak the hell out, this was all in her head! Kelby's still dead, and Leon isn't Robin's baby-daddy. She's not even knocked up. I myself liked the glass room, becuase it mirrored the relationship she thought she had with Chris. Yes, I had to make that pun. A ton of symbolism, and a eerily familiar scene (for those of you who played the original game, Jill's scenario) flesh this chapter out pretty nicely if you ask me.

**To Recap This Chapter:** Journeying to the center of the earth, or at least down an aisle they hoped would lead them to some answers, Robin collapses from her injuries. Seeing that there was no future for her with Chris, she spirals into a sea of despair, imagining her worst fear. But she manages to pull herself together again, and gets a small reminder from her mother. While she combats her inner demons, Leon carries her down the passageway. Chris finds himself at one of the exit doors, only to find that is locked. Suvi finds him, telling him that the building has been put on lock down, also giving him a key that "might be needed later".

**Song:** "Suicide Note" by Johnette Napolitano. I chose the song for the first part of the chapter (and becuase it was stuck in my head for the past few days), instead of the end of the chapter, like I usually do. Well, my method is to try to capture the essence of each chapter, but I usually look more toward the end. Anyways, that's why the chapter was given its name.

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All respective properties, like, but not limited to, songs, belong to their respective brands. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	11. Darkness of Greed

Insubstantial as a cloud gliding through the air, Robin realized that she was moving. Something was clamped tightly around her thighs, preventing her from walking, so how in the world was she moving? Deliberately opening her eyes, she saw the back of a blonde head, aware of his holster stabbing into her stomach. Kinder than she had anticipated, she thought that Leon was sweet for taking her along when all she was was dead weight. Sure to thank him later, Robin cleared her throat, letting him know that she had come to. He kept walking, adjusting her ever so slightly, obviously intent that she was in no condition to walk, when in fact, she was. Her injuries had been purely emotional, spurred on by the wounds to her head. Giving up on life, she had almost let her depression kill her, but she had once again found resolve, allowing her to continue on.

"Aren't I heavy?" She asked after a while of silence, countless meters between them and the point of entry.

He shrugged, "You're lighter than you look."

Ignoring that, she gazed ahead at the endless tunnel, the lights much more sparse than they were before, noting a dark blue speck in the distance, "Is that a door?"

"Yeah." He stopped so suddenly, Robin was positive that she would have walked into him if he hadn't been carrying her, "We have company."

Leering into the darkness over his shoulder, she felt something in the shadows, a most horrifying presence...

**Back At The Bunker...**

Chris continued on his way from the door, key safely pocketed, handgun at the ready. Someone screamed in the distance, but he knew that it was too late to save them, though he still found himself running in the direction the cry had come from. It was just in his nature to play the hero. Skidding to a halt in a pool of blood, he saw a pus-oozing zombie, one of the soldiers, desperate to feast on a young female receptionist who was trying to run away from her fate. Going down the stairs to the basement two at a time, she punched in the security code as fast as she could, but it wasn't fast enough - descending on its meal, the zombie tore into her neck, ripping out her voice box. Not quite fully dead, she fell against the door, begging Chris with her eyes to kill her. Giving her what she wanted, he shot her in the head, causing her face to rub against the metal as she fell to the floor. She had left nothing but a bloody trail in her wake.

"Dammit," Chris jumped over the low rails, shooting at the monster.

Gorging itself on the woman, it stood clumsily, angry at Chris for interrupting its meal. Blasting its brains with a lucky shot, Chris examined the woman's remains, finding a box of handgun ammo. He took it, seeing the number she had punched in, which was a digit short, "62396". Noticing that there was a small keyhole that resembled the key Suvi had given him, he pulled the key out, looking at the other side of the tag, which read "623961". Pressing the correct button, the door beeped once, though it remained stationary. Using the key, the door gave away at his touch, allowing him access to the underground passage that led to the security office.

**At That Same Moment...**

Permitting Robin to get down, lethargically, Leon glared into the velvet blackness that barred their path, a rush of cool air at their back. He felt Robin tense beside him, her heart racing in unison to his own. Afraid but not showing it, ever the skilled agents, he drew his handgun, signalling her to do the same. Whatever was lurking in the shadows, it wasn't going to be an easy task to bring it down. Bracing himself for the thing to reveal itself, a humanoid creature with faded lavender-grey tentacles shooting from eye-shaped mouths stepped into the light. Its skin was a charcoal-peach color, as if it had just recently come into being, coffee brown hair hanging in clumps at the base of its elongated skull, folds of flesh hanging from its flattened face. Along with a bladed forearm, spikes the size of artichoke protruded from the tips of the tentacles.

"Why do I have the feeling that that's our man?" Robin asked Leon with a miserable groan, pulling her sawed-off shot gun from its place on her back.

He cocked his head to the side, a fringe of yellow falling against his baby blues, reading the name tag on the scraps of lab coat still on the creature, "It is."

Beholding the mutant that had once been Noah Walker was bad enough, but having to smell the rotting, moldy, decaying garbage eking from him was murder. Yearning for nothing more than a nose plug, she locked in on Noah, opening fire. Not at all pleased by the actions she took, he retaliated, slamming her against the wall with his barbed appendage, gashing her shoulder where the makeshift mace struck. Simultaneously, Leon repeatedly shot Noah, though when one of the seven tentacles targeted him, he proved just how agile he really was, dropping to the ground, throwing his knife in the air so that it severed the extra limb, raining a shower of blackish gore. Springing back up before he even connected with the floor, he glanced over at Robin. He was still questioning her ability to move after collapsing earlier, but he really didn't have the time to spare worrying about her - The fate of something much bigger than the both of them was at stake. Grunting, she rolled her shoulder to see if it was still in working order, which thankfully it was, so she resumed blasting away at the beast.

"Aim for the tentacles!" Leon shouted at her over the agonized roaring, blowing another one of them off of the monster.

Rolling underneath two of the pounding spikes, Robin bent back, her neck narrowly skimmed by the blade. Using the opening she had given him, Leon grabbed two of the tentacles in his left hand, bringing down his knife with his right, chopping them both off. Spinning on the ground, she kicked Noah in the abdomen and face, aiming her barrel behind her back, she shot up, head inclined so it didn't get caught in the blast, nailing him. Seeing her in his peripherals, Leon was impressed by her, though he had to frown upon her recklessness. She was equally enthralled by his skill, catching glimpses of his moves.

Removing the remaining tentacles, the monster's skin began to bubble like water in a superheated pot. Blistering and bursting all over, Noah wailed, backing away from the loathsome duo. Twisting in impossible ways, it shed it's excess skin, changed into a smaller, sleeker creature, both arms bladed, and Uroboros-like tentacles spewing from its mouth. Switching to the magnum Barry had given her, she shot the creature square in the forehead, blood oozing out around the bullet. Continuing to assault the perp, Robin emptied her clip, downing the monstrosity that had once been a man. It fell forward, twitching in its own blood. Glaring at it as they passed, they proceeded to the door, entering the room. In the security office, a room lined with chunky, out-dated computers, they look around, seeing that the computers had been smashed, with the exception of one or two.

Thinking that they were safe, they were quickly proven wrong - Noah broke through the door, ramming it off of its hinges. Going after Robin in revenge, she ran through a row of desks, dodging the projectiles Noah was spitting out at her. Always on the move, Leon saw a gun on one of the desks. Snatching it off of the desk, noticing a manual that stated the gun was highly experimental, made of an acidic compound, he shot Noah as he caught up to Robin, inches from her face. She blinked dumbfoundly when the killing blow didn't come. Smiling at Leon, she waved in gratitude.

Waking around its corpse, she tripped on an arm wider than both of her legs, falling into Leon's arms, "Thanks. And not just for catching me, but for saving me. Repeatedly. And...Thank you for not leaving me behind."

He nodded curtly, responding indifferently, "You need to be more careful."

One of the monitors blinked to life, making Robin jump back, out of Leon's arms, where she walked to the screen, dim with only the silhouette of a man appearing, "It would seem you took care of Noah. As expected of agents of your caliber."

Confused about how the man knew her, Robin flung herself in front of the screen, almost missing the chair in her haste, "How do you know who we are?"

Chuckling, she was certain that he was smirking mirthfully at her, "I know all about you, Robin Varis."

"Varis?" Leon asked her, standing at her side.

She shrugged, ignoring that for the moment, enunciating, "How do you know who we are?"

"Good bye, agent Kennedy, Robin." The screen went black, the man turning his back to the pair of them.

"Son of a bitch!" She hit the keyboard in frustration, making another page pop up.

Reading the file carefully, faces inches from the finely printed file, it told them the truth of their individual missions, that Noah had been a spy, sent in to infiltrate Tricell and find out about the Oroboros Project. Informed that the President had been a potential buyer, Noah had gotten greedy and was trying to blackmail him. Sending in both the BSAA and Secret Service, hoping that the whole mess would be covered up without being discovered, the President tried to cover his tracks. Looking at each other grimly, they now had an even bigger problem to deal with. Loading the files into their individual PDAs, they took a much needed break while they waited for the files to transfer.

"So, the President of the United States... This isn't going to be easy." Robin sighed, rubbing her temples, "But that's the life we signed up for."

Still interested in what the man was talking about when he called her Robin Varis, Leon took the time to address the situation, "What did he mean when he called you Robin Varis?"

"I was adopted by Barry Burton after Rebecca Chambers saved me from Raccoon City," She said simply, "My family died when I was just a little girl. My mother had been trampled to death, my little brother bit my father, who was killed by Rebecca before he could change. My brother was shot in the panic, and my oldest brother was killed protecting me from our mother's reanimated corpse. I had to kill her myself."

"Robin..." He was at a loss for what to say.

She shrugged, feeling that she owed him the full truth, "I'm not really a member of the BSAA. I was brought here by Chris Redfield as a trainee."

"You're a trainee?" Unsure if he was upset or not, he figured that it didn't matter since they had already come so far.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Alright, its almost the end! I'm not sure exactly how many chapters are left, but trust me, its almost over. But if you liked this story, then rejoice, for there will (most likely) be a sequel! The part where the woman was chased by the zombie was a homage to the second RE movie, when Carlos tried to save that dumb bitch who just jumped off of the roof (though noble, she totally screwed Carlos over, getting him stuck in the city), and the third movie, when Betty dies in the bus.

**To Recap This Chapter:** Chris uses the key Suvi had given him, finding himself in an underground passage, ironically the very same where Robin and Leon are located. Sensing him in the dark, Noah confronts the duo of Kennedy and Burton. They face off, Robin using the Colt Python to finish him off, but he only falls temporarily, perusing them to the security office. Finding a way to put him down for good, Leon kills Noah, saving Robin in the process. Contacted by a mystery man, Robin informs Leon of her past, and that she really wasn't an agent of the BSAA.

**Song:** "Darkness (Of Greed)" by Rage Against The Machine. I chose this one because it is about greed, which is the entire reason why Chris, Leon, and Robin ended up where they currently are.

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All respective properties, like, but not limited to, songs, belong to their respective brands. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	12. Somewhere I Belong

The sound of breaking glass froze him in his tracks. Chris had entered the very first room he had come to, which was blindingly dark, illuminated a dense green, and contained hundreds, if not thousands, of snake species. It was no secret that the bunker was home to a vast research facility, primarily involving the hunt for a super anti-venom that could work on any type of poison, but never in his wildest dreams had he expected it to contain so many varieties of snakes, spiders, and scorpions. Wary of an escaped specimen, he tread carefully over the shattered shards, seeing the reflection of a substantial viper in the broken glass. Rearing its ugly head, it eyed Chris with beady blood-red eyes. Hissing, thick black tongue flickering to locate him, the snake clenched its voluminous coils, ready to spring. Jumping to the side just in time, he narrowly dodged the attack. Blasting it with machine gun fire, it slithered around the room with unimaginable speed, quickly cornering him. Lunging at him, the snake sank his fangs into Chris's side, but, in doing so, the snake had giving him the chance to blast its head off with his shotgun.

**In The Security Office...**

Having re-activated the security systems while they waited to collect proof of the President's involvement with Uroboros Project, Robin noticed a red blip on the electronic floor map. The map was set into the back wall, edged in bronze, displaying the heat signatures of all living things on this floor. Aside from the two blips in the security office, there was another one in the second laboratory. Remaining in place for the data to finish transferring, Leon nodded his head at the door, telling her to go check it out, but Robin was already running out of the room. Leon could take care of gathering the information - someone might be in trouble.

**Second Laboratory...**

Badly poisoned from the encounter with the sable slitherer, Chris was leaning against the wall facing the door. Was this really the end? Panting heavily, he aimed his gun, shakily, at the lab door when it opened. Standing in the doorway, looking as if she had seen better days, was none other than Robin. Getting a load of her head, covered in bloody bandages, he became dismayed: Robin had gotten hurt, seriously from the looks of things. Taking in his appearance, the paling skin and shaky bones, she deduced that he had been bitten by one of the...snakes? Ay, ay, ay, why did it have to be snakes? Zombies ere one thing, but animals? No thank you! Understanding the look on her face, he tried to force a smile, only to get a grimace. Under the impression that that was a spasm, she rushed to his side, all of her hurt, anger, betrayal and new found independence sapping away. She loved him with all of her heart, she really did, and at the end of the day, she wasn't an independent person; she relied on the others around her, whether that be her friends, family, or Chris. She was just too fragile to be left alone.

"You're hurt!" She cried out, almost near tears as she clung to him in a way that was probably expediting the toxin's course through his veins to his heart.

He would have rolled his eyes at her if he were the type, but since he wasn't, he shook his head, "So are you."

Shrugging, she touched her head, "Its not as bad as it looks. It's you I... You've been poisoned. Stay here, I'm going to get the antidote! Leon," She pressed her headset, contacting him, "I need you to tell me where the medical office is."

"Right," She head him moving from the computer to the map, "It's not too far from your location."

"Thanks," She turned the headset off so that she was talking to Chris again, "I'm not going to let you die here, I promise."

He smirked meekly, never imagining that she would be the one saving him, "Robin - "

"Shush. Save your breath!" She put her finger to his lips, silencing him.

He nodded in consent, and she was off, dashing down the hallway like a madwoman, trying door after door. Normally, she would have just called Leon back for further direction, but she was in such a dizzy, she wasn't thinking straight. The only thought in her head was a simple one - Chris couldn't die. Finding what she was looking for at door number four, she couldn't help but to cringe when she stepped inside the penetrating icebox. Most likely to promote an image of surgical cleanliness, the room was blindingly bright, at least twelve fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling, a double row lining the walls. Digging in the cabinets, she found a serum labeled "Maya Anti-venom".

Being the only anti-venom she could find, she took it back with her, leaving the medical office behind, but she knew that it is never that easy. Just outside the room, a gargantuan crimson-eyed viper, presumably Maya, waited for new prey. It was true that Maya had taken a bite out of Chris and had presented him with the perfect opportunity to kill her, but between her enhanced size and toxicity, the venom acted too quickly for him to get a clean shot. Taking a deep breath, thinking only of Chris, Robin leaped to the side, simultaneously pulled out her shotgun, and finished off the creature that Chris could not. Eye fluid, brains, and gore exploded from what was once an ordinary viper, showering Robin in a nauseating splash, but she was so preoccupied freaking out about Chris, she didn't even think about it.

Back in the second lab, she administered the drug to Chris, unzipping his jacket and rolling up his shirt, she injected the cure at the wound's source, also injecting a half-dose near his heart so the anti-venom could spread faster. Huddled close to his diminishing presence, she was watching him like a hawk for signs that the procedure was successful. None came. Slipping his eyes closed, Chris' breathing abated, his face relaxing. Trembling, Robin clung to his body, lamenting her loss, tears freely falling.

"You can't die. You can't die. You can't. I promised you that I wouldn't let you! You can't die... I love you." She begged him again and again, preying that her words would somehow revive him.

Interrupting the moment, a mechanic female voice alerted them that the facility had been rigged to blow. Someone from the outside had detonated the self-destruct, but Robin just couldn't bring herself to care. Nothing mattered anymore... Thank God Leon burst into the room at that moment, gathering that Chris had fallen but Robin refused to let him go. He hated leaving the body of a comrade behind, yet it was a hate that had lessened over time. But Robin was still so young, and it was obvious by the way that she was crying that she had cared deeply for Chris. Offering her his hand, he pulled her up, turning back to face Chris. Getting what he meant to do for her, they picked up Chris, carrying him between the pair of them. Going back the way Chris had come, they find that the building had been rid of zombies, or at least their path. Passing Suvi's half-devoured corpse near the exit, they leave the bunker as it begins to go up in flames, the tendrils of which licked their heels. Managing to get to their vehicle just before the place can blow, Robin gets in, Leon sliding Chris across the wide backseat, his head resting in her lap. Leon gets in the driver-seat, getting them the hell away from this place.

**Twenty-Four Hours Later...**

Giggling like a twelve-year old Japanese schoolgirl, Robin bowed her head against her companion's shoulder, the feeling of his finger tips on her spine too much. Gazing past his eyes into his very soul, she melted at whatever she had found, kissing his jawbone. Tightening his hold on her, he buried his head in her neck, never wanting to let her go again. Feeling the exact same, she snuggled into his arms, closing her eyes, sleep the last thing on her mind, she breathed in his scent, the rancor of battle still on them both. But she didn't care - he was perfect just the way he was.

"You are happy being here with me, aren't you?" She asked self-consciously, suddenly looking up.

Wiping her hair out of her face, he grinned, "Robin, I meant everything I said."

Unable to deny that, she beamed at him, "I've dreamed of this moment for so long now, I can't tell if this is just another dream."

"It's not," He stroked her cheek, "Trust me."

"I know. This is so much better than any fantasy, because its really you." She kissed his hand, "But a little more convincing wouldn't hurt..."

**Twenty Some Hours Ago...**

After arriving in Helsinki, where Leon had gotten them two separate rooms, he helped Robin put Chris on the bed. Sobbing the entire time, he was a bit shocked that she was still able to function properly. He surmised that once the shock had resided, she would completely break apart, probably resorting to drastic measures, so he had every intention of staying. But first things first, he had to get rid of the body, which meant going through the motions. She had been too distraught to bother checking his pulse, and he had been too busy escaping, but once things had settled down, Leon went to his side to examine the body.

"He's not dead." Leon looked back at where Robin was standing, the look on her face probably going to stay with him for a while - in all his years, he had never seen anyone look so relieved.

Sniffling, she past Leon to sit at Chris' side, her eyes not leaving his face once, "Thank you."

Feeling like the third-wheel, he decided to let them be, so he went to his room. Once he was gone and it was just Robin and Chris in the cozy room, she began to pour her heart out, "I was such an idiot... I should have just told you this years ago, but I was so afraid of losing you, and then this happened - "

"I love you too." Chris had been in a semi-conscious state the entire time, but he fully woke up at last.

Choking on her half-formed sentence, Robin flung herself on him, too happy to have him awake to realize what he had just said, "Chris!"

Tender, but surprisingly close to full health, he wrapped his arms around her, pinning her down against him, "I should have done this a long time ago."

"Do what?" She asked, her question answered a second later when their lips met.

"I love you, Robin." He said when she pulled back, dizzy from the length of their embrace.

Blinking, she kissed him again, "I wanted to do that when it was your choice, not when you're delirious, but I'm not strong enough to hold back anymore."

Crushing her against him, he shook his head, "I do mean it. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it."

"Chris..." She deepened the kiss, "I know what you did with her..."

"That wasn't me. I was in my room, thinking about you." He meant it, and she knew it.

Seeing no other obstacles, they unleashed years worth of unrequited feelings...

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Psych! You all thought that Chris died for a minute, didn't you? As if I would do that! As for Maya, that's actually a reference to Street Fighter's Crimson Viper, one of my fav characters in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Admittedly, I've never played Street Fighter (and I call myself a Capcom fan?) but I think she's so epic in the game, not to mention Capcom's little inside jokes (like Sakura's name in RE2, which was backwards on a sign), I decided to put her in the story. Sorta. Well, here it is, the penultimate chapter! Or maybe the last full chapter... I'm still debating about how long the next one will be. Looking at my track record, it'll probably be something like 300 - 2000+ words.

**To Recap This Chapter:** Fighting a gigantic viper, Chris gets poisoned. Finding him after the battle, Robin brings him the antidote. Along with Leon, they escape from the bunker before it self-destructs. Safe and sound, Robin and Chris get everything out into the open. Finally!

**Song:** "Somewhere I Belong" By Linkin Park. Well, it took me well over two hours to search though list upon list of songs, ok, it was like three or four lists, but I checked them more than once!

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All respective properties, like, but not limited to, songs, belong to their respective brands. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


	13. You Are The One

**Epilogue...**

It had been three weeks since the trip to Helsinki, when Chris and Robin had hashed things out. Well, technically it was a mission, but things had ended up in such a way that Robin disfavored the idea that they had been on the clock. Not only had they uncovered a conspiracy, which Leon was currently in charge of handling, but there were the events at the very end of the job - the ones that involved Chris and Robin confessing their true feelings to each other. It had been a monumental time for them both, and to her, it was way too important to call work.

While they hadn't officially declared their intentions or even that they were together, they had been nigh inseparable over the past few weeks. Chris was either at Robin's, checking up on her mental state after her first mission, or she was at his place, making sure that the poison was really nullified. Both very plausible and not easily disputed, and semi-true, but about seventy percent of the time they spent together was used to put the energizer bunny to shame. It wasn't that they were sex maniacs who were only in it - whatever it was between them - for the fun of it, they were simply in the honeymoon stage.

Looking perfectly coiffed, or at least that's what Chris thought, but in all fairness, he always thought that she was beautiful; Robin was lingering by the front door. She should have left a few minutes ago, but she was looking for every reason to stay. A very dangerous venture as of late, especially when one of them had to be somewhere. He had just remembered something she had left behind the last time she had 'visited', so he was standing next to the couch to retrieve it from its hiding place.

"Don't leave your things lying around next time... I almost wasn't able to hide it when your father came over for a surprise visit." Chris tossed her a tee-shirt he had pulled up from the couch cushions.

She caught it, "I was looking for this! So that's where I left it..."

"Robin." He said sternly, a tad annoyed at her for acting so carefree about the situation.

She clicked her tongue, "Tsk, fine, I'll be more careful when I leave my clothes here... Even when I have to leave here half-asleep….."

"You know, we wouldn't have to sneak around if you just told your father about us," Her trying to blame him for a situation that was ultimately her fault didn't improve his mood, but he kept his cool.

"You know," She was obviously trying to blow off the fight, "I still wonder how I even made it home without a shirt."

"Robin," He warned her, his patience ebbing faster than a broken dam.

Knowing that she wasn't going to win this round, she sighed in defeat and apologized from the bottom of her heart, "I'm sorry. But you know why I'm so afraid to tell my father about us... Once he finds out, he's going to kill you, then he's going to kill me. Well, maybe he won't kill me, but you're definitely screwed."

He had been trying to convince her tell Barry ever since the plane had landed, but she was resilient as Teflon to the idea, which he suspected was in part because of the thrill she got, "I swear, one of these days, I'm just going to tell him myself."

She scowled at him, "You are not going to even hint that there is an "us"."

"And why is that?" He challenged her, doubting that she could back up her threat.

She smirked deviously, "Because I control the sex."

"... You do realize that that means that you're cut-off as well?" He grinned cheekily, knowing that she was too much of a physical being to last long.

Robin glared him, "We'll just see about that. Let's just see who cracks first..."

"You're on," Chris shook her hand, sealing the deal.

That was probably the third time they had had that fight this week, which made it a slow week, and the first time they had turned it into a challenge. It was interesting that Chris wanted to tell Barry about them, especially when Robin didn't even know that there was a "them", but he had his reasons, such as honor. After all, Barry was his best friend and been there for him for as long as he could recall. Chris owed him the truth. Though death was a legitimate reason for Robin to not want to tell her father that she was seeing his best friend, her absolute refusal to approach the subject was confusing to Chris. But she knew why she didn't want to do it. Telling Barry would make things real, and if they were real, Chris might feel obligated to stay with her for her father's sake, and she didn't want that. Chris might even have loved her at all - after all, what was a better aphrodisiac than fear? She wanted him to be sure before digging his grave...

**Less Than Seventy-Two Hours Later...**

Standing outside of Robin's room, her family once again out of the house, Chris stood with his hand against the door, the wood cool and sleek to the touch, doing his best to keep from entering her room. The pressure was already building at the base of his spine, the waiting to be back in her bosom to do it again murder. Inside her room, Robin had already cracked, but she had found other ways to keep herself from going to Chris - If only it was working! Unable to stand it any longer, he barged into her room, seeing her writhing on the bed, hand working on the other side of her zipper, a deer-in-the-headlights look on her face.

"Chris?" She choked, caught between her embarrassment at being caught this way and her desire to just forget the stupid challenge and be back in his arms.

Unfazed by the sight of her in that way, already more than familiar with every square inch of her body, he crawled on top the bed with her, "This was idiotic."

"So stupid," She agreed, wrapping her arms around his neck, mashing her tongue down his throat.

Fuck it, nothing was worth this kind of torture...

**... A Little Bit Later**

Barry had come back home from work a little bit earlier than usual, wanting to surprise his wife with dinner for once. Such a sweetheart! Walking up the driveway to the house, he saw that Robin's light was on, so that meant that they could make dinner together - they didn't do enough father-daughter activities these days, so this would be good for them. Going straight up to her room, he paused outside the door, hearing strange noises coming from inside her room.

"What is that?" He asked himself pointlessly.

Opening the door with unreal sluggishness after a soft tap, Barry entered the room, "Honey?"

Resting her elbows on the top of the bed so all that could be seen was her bare shoulders up, she smiled brightly, "Hello, Daddy."

"What are you doing in here?" He asked, looking around for the source of the noise.

She looked at the floor next to her, lost for an excuse, "I was looking for something... To wear?"

Buying her bull, he turned to leave, "Alright. Just come to the kitchen when you're dressed."

"Oh, I'll be coming," She smirked, chancing a glance at the floor.

"Huh?" He turned back around, hearing only a mumble.

She shook her head, "Nothing. I'll be there soon."

Nodding, he left the room, closing the door behind himself. Sinking back down behind her mattress, she hissed at Chris, "You have three minutes."

**The End**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>When he is standing outside of Robin's room, trying to stave off the urge to succumb, is a reference to the Puscifer song "Rev 22:20". I've been playing that song at least three times a day, every day for the past two weeks now, and I needed to put it in somewhere, so viola! And yes, there was a lot of smex, but remember, this was an M-rated fic. And I think that this was a pretty good epilogue. Better than my others... Anyway, I probably should have just let it end in the last one... Well, I regret nothing!

**To Recap This Chapter:** Chris and Robin get in a fight over telling Barry, and Robin cuts him off from sex. However, they both pay for that hasty decision. Less than three days later, they crack and are back in the saddle again. Barry happens to come home early, but he remains oblivious to the relationship.

**Song: **By my all-time favorite band (though that could be debatable since my discovery of Puscifer. And there always is Slipknot.) H.I.M., "You Are The One".

**Disclaimer: **Capcom owns Resident Evil, not me. All respective properties, like, but not limited to, songs, belong to their respective brands. All I can lay claim to is the Varis family... and this work of fiction. Any game-related information used in this story comes from the Resident Evil Wikia, actual game play, and videos (official ones of the games) come from YouTube.


End file.
